Let Your Heart Be Light
by callistawolf
Summary: Oliver Queen is a billionaire former-playboy and he needs a girlfriend to bring to the family's mountain cabin for Christmas. So he asks Felicity Smoak, a woman he knows from his company. She's just a friend, but she's also the only friend he has who he can trust with the ruse. Complications arise when he realizes that maybe what he thought he wanted isn't what he wants at all. Mor
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Welcome to my Olicity Christmas AU! This is the story that I wrote during NaNoWriMo 2014, so its all finished and I'm just editing it now so the updates will be fairly regular. Note: THIS IS AU. Meaning this is not set during the canon-verse of the show. Same characters though, just no island for Oliver and no vigilante business. Sorry about that! This is also meant to be a bit cheesy: think Hallmark Channel Christmas Movie starring our favorite duo! I know, right? ITS TOO MUCH! **

Oliver Queen had been avoiding his mother's phone calls all week long and he knew he'd used up his last credible avoidance the day before when he'd faked a last-minute emergency meeting with the shareholders. So when his assistant buzzed through to his office to tell him his mother was on line one, well, he knew his number was up. He told her he'd take it.

Reluctantly, Oliver turned away from the business reports he was reviewing on his oversized monitor and picked up the receiver on his office phone. "Oliver Queen," he said in greeting.

"It's about time you took my call," his mother's crisp voice replied. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you've been avoiding me."

Because that's exactly what he'd been doing and this was his mother's way of letting him know that she knew it. "I've been busy, Mother. You and Dad the ones who wanted me to take an interest in running Queen Consolidated. You've got your wish, or rather he did, but it doesn't afford me a lot of free time."

Any hope that his pointing this out would get her off his case disappeared with her next words. "No, you just don't want me to harass you about your father's will."

He cringed. Damn, that woman was too smart for his own good. "I'm not worried about it, Mother, and you shouldn't be either."

"Oh, does that mean you've found a woman to settle down with? Or have you patched things up with Laurel?"

"No, Laurel and I are still broken up," he admitted.

"There are less than six months now until your thirtieth birthday, you realize."

"Yes, I do realize that."

"I can set you up with someone, if that would help. You know Frank Bertinelli, right? His daughter, Helena, is a lovely young woman and she recently broke up with her fiancé so she's definitely available."

Oliver fought a shudder as he sat back in his chair. Helena Bertinelli was a train wreck. He remembered that from when they'd been at high school together. The last thing he wanted was to get sucked into her drama. As for Laurel, well, he considered his relationship with her to be a work in progress. Normally, he'd be happy to let it run its natural course, if it wasn't for his father's damned will. Ever since he and Laurel had begun dating back in high school, they'd had a tumultuous relationship that resulted in breakups and makeups. It was just a part of who they were as a couple. So he had every confidence that they would one day end up back together again. Unfortunately, he didn't have the luxury of waiting for that one day to arrive.

For the last seven years since his father's death, Oliver had done his best to ignore the elder Queen's last wishes. Growing up the son of billionaires, heir to a business empire that spanned the globe, he'd never worried about his future financial security. As such, he'd probably taken too much for granted. As a teenager and a young man, Oliver's life had been defined by the latest party, the latest drunken binge, the latest string of nameless women… He'd run fast and far from any hint of responsibility and for a while, things had been great.

But his father had grown tired of his antics the older he'd gotten and had on many occasion taken him aside for a lecture. Oliver had never listened, of course, and had gone on to flunk out of each university that his father bought him entry to. The weekend before his father had been lost at sea in a tragic yacht accident, they'd had a huge fight, their biggest yet. Robert had threatened to cut Oliver off unless he took responsibility for his life. Oliver had been furious at his father's lack of understanding and had stormed out of the mansion. What had followed had been a bender to end all benders, and with his best friend Tommy as his wingman, they'd gone from party to party to party. Finally, the pair had crashed back at Tommy's penthouse two days later and had slept for days. Oliver had eventually woken up to the mother of all hangovers and the news that his father's yacht had gone down somewhere in the North China sea.

The search for survivors had been called off a week later and plans for a funeral service had been taken over. The lawyers had contacted the family regarding Robert's will shortly after that and that was when Oliver had officially gotten his wake-up call. The will had clearly stated that Oliver would inherit an equal share of the estate when, and only when, he fulfilled certain terms which were outlined in great detail.

The first term had been: finish college. For as much flunking out as he'd done, Oliver only had about a year and a half of classes to make up in order to get a business degree. He took classes at Starling City University and managed to squeak through, with help from some professional tutors his mother hired to keep him in line. His relationship with Laurel had been on at the time and she had also provided much encouragement for him to make it through. Laurel was smart and beautiful and going places and why she kept giving him chances, he'd never know, but she did. She'd gotten her degree a few years earlier and was well on her way to passing the bar exam and becoming a successful lawyer.

The second term had been: take over as CEO of Queen Consolidated. In the interim, his father's CFO Walter Steele had filled in and kept the company afloat. For the first year after Oliver graduated, Walter stayed on board to guide Oliver and show him the ropes. Finally, three years after his father's death, Oliver took the reins of Queen Consolidated. Walter returned to his position as CFO and also started dating his mother. Oliver hadn't really been thrilled about that development, but he did like Walter and valued the man's sensible judgement so he'd been willing to overlook it. Besides, his younger sister Thea simply adored Walter and was thrilled to have a father figure in her life again. Seeing his sister so happy, when she hadn't really been happy since their father had died, had made it all worthwhile.

But then Walter and Moira had been married just three years ago and instead of taking the focus off of Oliver, it had only served to magnify it. Suddenly, the third term of his father's will became all his mother would talk about. That third term stated that he needed to be married by the time he turned thirty years old.

Oliver might have changed a lot about himself in the last seven years, but he doubted he would ever be the marrying kind. And the closer his thirtieth birthday drew and the more pressure that was heaped on his shoulders, the more reluctant he seemed to become about the whole thing, to the point he refused to discuss it with his mother.

When the will had first been read, Oliver had assumed he'd talk Laurel in to marrying him and that would be that. He'd known Laurel since high school and while they probably spent more time broken up than they did actually together, she was the closest thing to an actual girlfriend that he'd ever had. That was probably because she was the only woman who seemed to be willing to overlook all his indiscretions.

Oliver Queen often wondered if he lacked the ability to be faithful. He was also certain that faithlessness was a trait that ran in his family, as his father had notoriously had many affairs and hadn't been very good about hiding the evidence. Oliver didn't feel good about shackling any woman, much less one he cared about, into a marriage where he'd only bring infidelity and disappointment.

Despite all that, he'd come close six months ago. He and Laurel had been on again for the longest span of time yet: a whole year. Sure, he was busy with the company and often working late and she was busy working at the DA's office and they were more like ships passing in the night than anything else. He hadn't really had time to screw up the relationship. But, the fact was, he hadn't cheated on her and there'd been no huge fights and no tearfully slammed doors or anything of that sort. Oliver thought maybe he was finally growing up and outgrowing his inability to be in a stable relationship. But then, Laurel had suggested they move in together.

Just like that, Oliver had felt the prison doors slamming closed on him and he'd panicked. He'd panicked _hard_. Laurel's younger sister, Sara, had always been a good friend of his and they'd always flirted with one another but he'd always kept it innocent. He knew Sara was attracted to him and he was to her but it was a line he'd never crossed. That is, until that night six months ago. He'd called Sara up, wanting someone to talk to. He'd told himself he just wanted friendly advice about his relationship with Laurel. But when Sara had shown up at his door a half hour later, he'd grabbed her by the waist, yanked her to him and kissed her for all he was worth.

They'd gone at it like _rabbits_, all night long, and all the next day too. They only surfaced for the occasional (tandem) shower and food. Oliver had felt the blissful release from responsibility as anything outside of his loft apartment had ceased to exist over that one, glorious weekend.

It hadn't lasted, of course. Monday had arrived and both Sara and Oliver had a list of texts and missed calls on their phones from Laurel. When Laurel had stopped by QC to see him that morning, she'd already known. She was a smart woman, she'd figured it out. The two people she couldn't get ahold of, conveniently, all weekend long, suddenly reappeared on the radar at the same time. And, according to her, they each sported matching guilty expressions on their faces. There'd been no screaming this time, no throwing things, no slammed doors, just a cold declaration and the echo of her heels clicking on the marble tile as she'd stalked out of his office.

Laurel hadn't talked to him since, though he'd spoken to Sara several times and begged her for updates. Apparently, Laurel had only recently begun speaking to Sara again but only to let her know that yes, she was still furious with her younger sister.

It was stupid. This was the most terrible mistake he'd ever made. And now, with six months until the deadline in his father's will, Oliver had no idea what to do. His mother breathing down his neck about the whole thing was definitely unhelpful. She knew Laurel had broken up with him (again), but not why and he hoped to keep it that way.

"Setting me up with Helena won't be necessary," he told his mother, returning his thoughts to the conversation.

"But the deadline—"

"Yes, Mother, I know the deadline is looming," he sighed. "I've got it under control." His mind raced for a moment, hoping for something to tell her to keep her from continually pestering him about this. "I'm actually seeing someone seriously right now. She might be the one."

"Hmm, really?" She sounded skeptical. "Well, you know the holidays are upon us and I expect to see you at the family cabin to celebrate with us."

Oliver bit back a groan. "It had slipped my mind. I _have_ been busy, you know."

"Oliver, you are _not_ skipping Christmas with us this year. I won't allow it. Thea is counting on you being there and so am I. Plus, I'd like to meet this woman you're dating. I expect you to bring her along."

Oh, _shit_. "That's not a good idea, Mother. It's—"

"Nonsense. We'll all be up there on the 23rd, I expect to see you before dinner that night. You know where it is but in case it's also slipped your mind, I will send directions to your secretary to forward to you."

_Shit, shit, shit_. "Yes, Mother."

She rang off a moment later and Oliver set the phone back in the cradle. He stared at it for another minute before letting his eyes slide shut.

"Shit!" he cursed loudly. How the hell was he going to get out of this one?

By the next morning, Oliver had thought up a strategy. He'd been spending the last six months since Laurel had broken up with him waiting for her to be ready to take him back. Honestly, he'd expected her to come to him at least a couple of months ago. This was the longest she'd managed to stay mad with him, during all the years of their relationship.

Then again, he'd never cheated on her with her own sister before either. Even he knew that was above and beyond his usual douchebaggery. So maybe that meant he needed to step up his game and be the one to pursue her. That had never been his style and frankly, he'd never really had to before, but Oliver knew he was meant to be married to Laurel. She was the only viable choice for him. It was time he showed he was committed to the idea.

The first step in his strategy was to deliberately cross paths with Laurel and force a conversation. Maybe he would get lucky and all it would take is a heartfelt apology on his part and she'd consent to join him on this enforced family Christmas vacation. A guy could dream. He could make up some sort of excuse to his mother.

As soon as he got to his office, he called the DA's office. Instead of asking directly for Laurel, he asked for a paralegal named Sandy that he knew worked with her. Turning on the old Oliver Queen charm, he managed to finagle details about where Laurel was taking her lunch that day. The sandwich shop Sandy mentioned was just down the street from the DA's office and he knew right where it was.

When he hung up, he immediately placed another call. This time to his best friend, Tommy Merlyn. He'd known Tommy since they were both toddlers, having been thrown together because of being the eldest children of two of Starling City's most influential families. They'd been thick as thieves ever since.

"Hey Tommy," he greeted once his friend picked up. "Hey, I've got some bad news."

"Oh no, don't tell me. That bimbo you took home from the club last weekend has developed a sudden clinginess? Or… you've overshot the limit on your platinum card? No wait! You ran the Jaguar into a mailbox and now you've got to get body work done."

Oliver grinned. "None of those things. Don't I wish! I have to back out of Aruba."

"What?! Oliver, we've had those plans for ages! We were going to lay on the beach for five days straight and get pissed. And laid! Remember all the laid we were going to get?" Tommy cried, his dismay evident.

"I know. Trust me, I'd much rather be doing Aruba with you. But my mother…"

"Ugh. Say no more. I know better than to question the will of Moira Queen. Damn, Oliver, that blows. Does this mean I have to spend the holiday here in Starling? With my _father_?" Tommy's shudder was audible over the phone line.

If anyone's relationship with their father was more dysfunctional than Oliver's (while his dad was still alive, that is), it was Tommy's. That was why Oliver had suggested the trip to Aruba in the first place, to rescue his friend from having to deal with his difficult father over the holiday. Truth be told, the partying lifestyle wasn't so much Oliver's speed anymore and he suspected it wasn't Tommy's either. But a week on a tropical beach had sounded like just the thing and now…

"I'm really sorry, Tommy. I'll make it up to you, I swear. Maybe we can go somewhere for New Years."

"You're assuming I'm going to survive Christmas," Tommy grumbled.

"How about you and I go for drinks tonight. I'll tell you all about my troubles, hopefully they'll take your mind off yours," Oliver suggested.

"Oh hey, I like the sound of that!" He sounded happier already.

Oliver chuckled.

Later, as he walked to the sandwich shop which was just a few streets over from the Queen Consolidated building, Oliver thought again about his plan to win Laurel back. It had to work because Plan B was something he wasn't even willing to contemplate at the moment. That was simply a backup plan. An emergency clause. Chances were, he wouldn't even need it. After all, didn't he have charm on his side?

Oliver spotted Laurel as soon as he stepped into the crowded shop. She was standing in line back by the counter, waiting to place her order. Fixing his smile in place, he walked over and stood behind her. She didn't even notice him and he took the moment to look her over. He hadn't even seen her in months and heaven help him, he missed her.

Laurel had been a beautiful girl as a teenager and now, as a woman, she was flat-out stunning. Tall and willowy, with long, naturally waving brown hair that was currently cascading down her back, she could have been a runway model. She was wearing a sleek, cream colored suit that showed off the lean lines of her body and plenty of leg too. She carried herself like a woman who knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to chase it down. He really admired that about her, always had.

Laurel was next up in line and she stepped to the counter. The employee asked her what she'd like and she'd just opened her mouth to answer when Oliver spoke up. "She'll take a 6" turkey, swiss and avocado on 7-grain bread, please. Hold the mayo, extra peppers."

Laurel whirled around, surprise written on her features. "Oliver! What are you doing here?"

"Was I right? That's still your favorite, right?"

She flushed, and her green eyes snapped with annoyance as she turned back to the employee behind the counter. "Yes, that's what I'll have. Thank you."

"I knew it. You've eaten the same sandwich for at least ten years."

Laurel kept her back to him as she moved along the sandwich production line. "It's actually fifteen years. What are you doing here, Oliver?" she asked.

"I was hoping to talk to you," he told her. He watched as her shoulders lifted in a sigh.

"I said everything I wanted to say to you six months ago."

"You were never going to talk to me again? Come on, Laurel…"

She whirled back around, her eyes snapping now. "Don't 'come on, Laurel', me! Yes, I was hoping I'd never see your face again. Guess that didn't work out for me though, did it? So I'll ask you again; why are you here?"

"Can we talk? Please?" he asked, dropping the charm and shooting for just being real with her. He hadn't anticipated she would still be this angry with him, after all this time.

She looked at him for a long moment, considering. Then, she nodded. "All right. Real quick though, I want to be able to enjoy my meal before I need to get back to work."

He resisted pumping his fist in the air in victory. If she was willing to listen to him, that was a huge step in the right direction. She wasn't as closed to him as he'd thought a moment ago. Oliver waited while she paid for her sandwich and followed her as she carried her tray to an empty table near the door. She sat heavily, not meeting his eye and he took the chair across from hers.

"Okay, so talk."

"Can't I just have wanted to see you, Laurel?" he asked.

She met his eye then. "I know you, Ollie. You wouldn't be here if you didn't want something. So spit it out."

"Well, I do want something. I want another chance with you."

Laurel scoffed loudly, causing a few people at the next table to look over at them curiously. Blushing a little, she leaned over the table towards him. "You really should have thought about that before you _slept with my sister_," she hissed.

"Laurel, please," he began.

She sat straight and narrowed her eyes. "Wait a minute. Is this about your father's will?" When he didn't reply, her eyes widened. "It is, isn't it? Oh, my god, Oliver. You just want to get back with me so, what, so you can inherit billions?"

More people were looking now and he ducked his head. "Laurel, quiet down. That's not the only reason."

"Oh, piss off, Ollie. I'm done with this. Get out of here so I can eat my lunch in peace." She started to unwrap her sandwich with jerky movements, signaling the conversation had come to an end. The women at the next table over were giving him accusatory glares and Oliver knew when he was beat. Dammit. He stood up and paused next to her chair.

"Call me if you change your mind," he said.

"I won't," she said simply.

Oliver sighed and walked out of the sandwich shop, tasting the bitterness of defeat. He decided he rather hated the flavor.

On his walk of shame back to the office, Oliver pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Sara Lance's phone number. He'd spoken to her a few times since Laurel had broken it off with him and he still considered her a friend, though in the interest of hoping to win Laurel back, he'd kept their interactions to a minimum.

"Yello!" she called, answering as cheerfully as she often was.

"Sara! Hi, it's Oliver."

"Oh, boy. Are you ever on the shit list," she remarked, almost sounding gleeful about it. Oliver made a face.

"Did Laurel talk to you already?"

"Just got off with her actually. She told me, and I quote, to keep my boyfriend away from her. What the hell did you just do?"

"I'm not your boyfriend," he reminded her.

"Yeah, try telling her that. I sure have. Seriously though, what'd you do?"

"I ran into her at lunch, tried to talk to her. I told her I want another chance with her."

Sara groaned. "Ollie, she's not ready. She's still so angry about everything. She's barely talking to _me, _and I'm her sister."

"I know but—" He cut himself off. He didn't want to get into talking about the will. Laurel hadn't been entirely wrong about that and the knowledge ate at him a little. "Listen, can you talk to her for me?"

"And say what?"

"Just… tell her that I'm not a bad guy. I'm changing, I really am. See if you can get her to agree to talk to me. Please?"

She sighed and he felt guilty all over again. Sara might still have a crush on him, if she did she'd never said anything after their weekend together. If she did have feelings for him, asking her to talk him up to her sister was pretty callous but what other choice did he have? He hated to ask this of her but he was getting desperate. It wasn't just about the stupid Christmas holiday anymore. This was his life, his _future_. If he ever wanted to have something again with Laurel, now was the time to make it happen. Or forever hold his peace, as the saying went.

"I'll see what I can do. Dad's making us all do Christmas together this year. He doesn't like how we've been fighting this year. He blames you, you know."

"I know." And with good reason. Detective Quentin Lance wasn't exactly the sort of guy you wanted to be on the bad side of either. Oliver had gotten more parking tickets in the last six months than he'd ever gotten before in his life.

"I won't be easy, Ollie. She feels betrayed. But I'll talk to her."

"Thanks, Sara. That's all I can ask."

"If I don't talk to you before next week, have a great Christmas."

"Thanks, you too."

He hung up and slid the phone back in his pocket. He was outside Queen Consolidated now and he looked up at the huge steel and glass building with no small amount of trepidation. It looked like it was time for Plan B after all.

There was no chance that he'd get Laurel to come to the family cabin with him for the holiday now. And he had told his mother he was seeing someone new. This wasn't how he'd wanted this to go and god help him, if he had his choice he'd be going to Aruba with Tommy and not even considering doing what he was considering right now. Where he'd been feeling confident an hour before, now Oliver was filled with self doubt. He hoped that Plan B worked because there was no Plan C. No wait, that wasn't true. Plan C was Helena Bertinelli.

He fought off a shudder as he yanked the glass door open and strode through the open lobby to the bank of elevators. The hell with Plan C. Plan B _had_ to work. He punched the button in the elevator car to take him to the fourth floor. It was time to pay a visit to Felicity Smoak.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I hope I've done this chapter justice. I know a lot of people have been anticipating it. Speaking of which, THANK YOU everyone for your outpouring of love and support for this story already. I'm completely overwhelmed! I'm sorry I was unable to post an update yesterday, but I had real life stuff to attend and not much time for beta-ing my chapter. I'm hoping that won't be the issue with the next chapter and am able to post tomorrow. My rough plan is to post a chapter a day. Anyhow, thank you for reading and for all your comments and reviews and kudos and reblogs... it means the world to me!**

Oliver stepped off the elevator at the fourth floor and headed directly to the small office that adjoined the server room where he knew he'd find Felicity. His visits down here had become more and more frequent since he'd first sought out help from the IT department two years ago.

He'd come down here with a busted laptop and a recommendation from Walter that he seek out what his stepfather considered the most valuable asset in QC's IT department, if not the whole company. He'd found her with a red pen in her mouth and blue eyes wide behind her thick rimmed glasses. He'd been on-again with Laurel at the time but even so, he had noticed Felicity was an attractive woman. She wasn't at all the type he generally pursued, but there was no denying the appeal of her plush, brightly painted lips, her shiny blonde ponytail and her sparkling blue eyes.

Oliver stopped in at the men's room just down the hall from the elevator bank to use the facilities and wash up. While he was drying his hands, he recalled that first meeting with Felicity and a chuckle bubbled out of his throat despite his dire situation. That was Felicity though, she could always make him laugh.

She'd been so startled to see him standing there in her office that her mouth fell open when he introduced himself. Then, she'd launched into an epic babble about how she knew who he was, the CEO of Queen Consolidated, heir to the empire and son of the late Robert Queen… Her blush when she realized what she was saying had charmed him. When was the last time he'd seen a woman _truly_ blush?

He'd produced his laptop then, and explained that he'd gotten her name from Walter and that he'd accidentally spilled a latte on the device at his favorite coffee shop the day before. He told her he understood that the hardware might be shot, but was hoping she could help him extract the data saved on the hard drive. He'd been working on a presentation for the QC board all week long and he hated to lose all that progress, not to mention all the personal photographs and music he had stored on the hard drive as well.

Felicity had relaxed before his eyes as she took the laptop from him and he watched, enthralled, as she entered her zone. Oliver pulled up a spare chair and watched her work, deftly taking apart the laptop and hooking various cables up to other devices. She excused herself for a moment before returning with a small black boxy object which she explained was a new external hard drive that she would migrate all his data to.

It took her all of twenty minutes to save his professional life (or at least, the next few nights that he would have had to spend redoing the entire presentation). She told him to go purchase a new laptop and then bring it back and she'd help him get all the data set up on the new device. When she was done, she'd promised, it'd be like nothing had ever happened to his original laptop.

And she was right. After that, Oliver had returned to her office often. Sometimes it was with a legitimate problem ("Your email doesn't work because that last spammy porn email you opened had a trojan in it and it corrupted the account, Oliver. You have to be more careful with your email address!") and sometimes it was just because he wanted to talk to her.

Felicity was fun to talk to. She had a great sense of humor and an easy laugh, which always managed to draw a laugh from him as well. And laughing wasn't something he'd done a lot of since his father's death. Her dry wit appealed to him and her reactions to things never failed to brighten his day. He begun inviting her out on coffee breaks and even took his lunch with her several times a month. She was the closest thing he had to a female friend, outside of Sara. And Sara didn't really count because of the whole sex thing anyhow. Besides, he could never talk to Sara about things in his life like he could Felicity. They weren't _that sort_ of friends.

After he knew Felicity for about half a year, Oliver found he could talk to her about the pressures of running the company, about his mother and their complicated relationship, about his regrets about his relationship with his father, about Tommy and Laurel and Thea… She was always happy to listen and offer advice when he needed it. She didn't talk about herself very much but whenever he asked, she assured him it was because there wasn't much to tell. He'd let her get away with that excuse because it seemed important to her but he knew there had to be something she was holding back.

Either way, Oliver trusted Felicity Smoak more than any other woman he knew and he trusted her with the favor he had to ask of her. God, he _hated_ to ask this of her, it was the worst sort of imposition, but he was out of options. Right now, Helena Bertinelli was definitely _not_ an option he wanted to consider.

Oliver reached the open door to her tiny closet of an office and rapped his knuckles on the wood. He watched, charmed, as her head popped up from the bits of wiring and circuitry she'd been examining.

"Oliver! What brings you down to the dungeon today?" she asked, smirking as she set what she was working on aside.

He walked over to her desk and sat in the extra chair with an exaggerated plop. "I have a terrible favor to ask of you."

"What'd you spill a latte on this time?" she asked, winking at him as she turned in her swivel chair to face him.

Oliver took a deep breath and let his eyes travel over her for a minute. Could he make this work? Would his mother question her suitability? Dressed in her standard brightly colored button-down blouse and pencil skirt, she looked nice but not remarkable. He thought she was pretty, beautiful even, had since he'd first met her, but with her hair pulled back into its ever-present ponytail and her glasses, she could easily fade into the background in any crowd. And he knew she preferred to do just that. Would his mother, who sadly knew all about his preferences when it came to women, question his relationship with her on sight?

"No lattes, I promise. But, I have a situation. See, my mother is insisting the family all get together at the Queen family cabin in the mountains for Christmas this year. I have to be there," he explained.

Felicity hummed. "I thought you were going to Aruba with Tommy."

"I had to change my plans. My mother is…. Very insistent."

She shuddered dramatically. "I believe it. All right, so what's the problem? Are you in charge of bringing the pie? Do you need my grandmother's pumpkin pie recipe?"

"No, it's not about pie." He paused and took a deep breath. How could he ask this of her? What other choice did he have? "It's much, much worse."

"Okay, you're starting to scare me. What is it? And why are you here talking to _me_ about it?"

Okay, best to just to get it out there. "I told my mother I would be bringing my girlfriend. I told her we were seriously seeing one another."

"Okay? Wait, you're seeing someone? I thought you and Laurel broke up? Did you meet someone new?" A little line formed between her eyebrows and on any other occasion, Oliver might have thought it was adorable. Right now, he was far too stressed out for that sort of simple musing.

"No, no." Oliver shook his head. "I'm not seeing anyone. Felicity, I made it up to get my mother off my back except now I need someone to bring with me."

"Oh," she said, her brow furrowing more. Then, the lines smoothed out as her eyes widened. Yep, she was getting it. "Oh! Oliver, you want— you can't be— Wait, are you asking me—?"

He sighed. "Yeah, I am. I know it's a lot to ask, Felicity, and I'm sorry but there's literally no one else I can ask."

"What about Sara?" He'd told her all about Sara, of course, and while she'd been disappointed in how he'd treated Laurel there'd not been a whole lot of judgement from her. Just a listening ear.

"She's doing Christmas with her dad and Laurel. Any other girl I'm going to ask is going to get the wrong idea. I need someone who won't expect anything past the holidays."

Felicity was looking at him with an unreadable expression. "You know I don't even celebrate Christmas, right?"

He blew out a breath. Trust Felicity not to make this easy on him. "Yes, you're Jewish. I know. I brought you a Hanukkah gift on the 8th night last year, remember?

She smiled and a blush lit her cheeks as she looked down at her hands. Oliver couldn't fight the grin. "Yeah, I remember. Still… isn't that going to be a problem?"

He shrugged. "I don't see why it would be. They won't care. Or, we don't have to tell them you're Jewish if you don't want."

She looked skeptical. "I find _that_ hard to believe. Okay, she might not care that I'm Jewish, but I'm willing to bet Moira Queen would care about my image. I mean, if you really want to sell this, is she going to believe that her son would marry someone who wore panda flats to work?"

The fact that she was voicing one of his concerns didn't escape him. "We can take care of that no problem," he told her. "The big hurdle is you agreeing to do me this monumental favor."

"Do you even really know what you're asking me to do, Oliver? You're asking me to pose as your girlfriend for… how many days is it?"

"We'll need to be up there on Tuesday afternoon at the latest, and I'm sure my mother will expect us to stay through Friday at least and will try to talk us into staying until Sunday."

"That's three days from now. Three? Four? That doesn't give us a lot of time to work on a story."

Oliver waved a hand. "We can keep it simple, keep it close to the truth. That would be most believable."

Felicity glanced at him from under her lashes. "Yes, well, you would know all there is about lying, wouldn't you?" He fought a flinch. He knew Felicity didn't approve of his lying, had told him in the past that he was better than that in fact, but was this really a lie? Maybe it was more of a… ruse.

"Please, Felicity? I know I ask a lot of favors from you and this is a huge one. I would owe you big time."

She sat back in her chair and tapped an index finger against her lips. The sparkle was back in her blue eyes. "Hmm. Really? Like what?"

"Anything you want."

He remembered her fondness for red wine. "I have a Lafite Rothschild 1982 in the wine cellar that's all yours. Just say the word."

"Seriously? Oliver, do you know what a bottle of that is _worth_?"

"I do. And it'd be worth it to me if you'll do this."

"Wow, that's tempting." She bit into her lower lip and rocked in her chair a little. "I don't know, though, Oliver. I was really looking forward to a few days at home by myself, just my cozy TARDIS blanket and my DVR full of tv shows to catch up on…"

Oliver remembered then something Felicity had once said, partially in jest, about getting to Walter through Oliver in order to boost her prospects within the company. "Walter will be there."

She perked up noticeably. "He will?"

"Of course. It's a family holiday deal. My sister and her boyfriend, my mom and her husband and… us."

Felicity was quiet for a few moments. She was clearly struggling with the decision. "Can I think about it?"

"We've only got a few days, Felicity."

"I just need tonight. Please? I promise I will think hard, it's just… this is huge, Oliver."

He sighed. "Okay. You have my number?"

She tapped a finger on her cellphone, which sat at the corner of her desk. "Yes, I do."

Oliver stood and smiled at her. "Thanks, Felicity. And please do consider it. I… I wouldn't ask this of you if I wasn't completely desperate."

"I know," she replied. Her eyes were sad as he turned and walked out of her office. He expelled a breath, trying to calm his racing nerves. Since when had he ever been nervous around Felicity?

Felicity Smoak barely got any work done for the rest of the day after Oliver's visit to her office. Her mind was definitely not on the coding she was supposed to be doing, nor was it on the service calls she had to take up on the sixteenth floor. When five o'clock came around, she grabbed her things and gratefully left, happy to have the freedom to think.

All the way back to her tiny townhouse in her little red Mini Cooper, she thought about what Oliver had asked her. Maybe in some other lifetime she would have been thrilled to be asked to pretend to be his girlfriend. It was a dream come true, right? He was a gorgeous man, something she'd noticed from the first moment they'd met two years ago. Then, she'd gotten to know him. He'd let her see underneath the public mask he wore, at the real person he was underneath. Felicity had the impression Oliver didn't let many people see that side of him. The more he came to see her, the more she saw that side of him.

And the more she _saw_ him, the more she fell in love with him.

Falling in love with Oliver Queen was a terrible idea and Felicity had tried desperately not to let it happen. At first, she wondered if it was just her stifled social life that was the reason she was falling under his beguiling spell. For weeks, she'd made an effort. She'd gone out to clubs with friends from work, had accepted date requests from various men and had tried to expand her limited horizons a little bit. Going out with friends had been fun, but the dates had been terrible ideas. Each date was successively worse than the one before and all of those men had been poor imitations of the man she'd tried so hard to forget.

When he'd given her the Hanukkah gift last year, that was when Felicity had finally had to admit to herself that her heart was lost to him. It was just a simple necklace with a little silver star pendant. Probably a drop in the bucket to a man with means like Oliver Queen. But it was beautiful and it was for her and he seemed so pleased to see that she liked it. She put it on and hadn't taken it off except to shower the whole year.

Now he was asking her to pretend to be his girlfriend? To his family?

Felicity parked her Mini Cooper outside her townhouse and locked it up before walking to her door and letting herself inside. The townhouse was small and cozy, decorated with her tastes and it felt cozy and homey to her. But it was empty and quiet. And lonely. She'd been on her own since college. Since before then, if she was being honest. Her mother still lived in Vegas and they didn't see each other very often which was fine by Felicity. The two of them didn't have much in common. It might be nice to spend the holiday with a family, even if it wasn't her own and even if she didn't celebrate the holiday herself.

She went through the motions of fixing herself something to eat for dinner and sitting down in front of her television to watch one of her favorite shows. She even lit her menorah using the shamash candle she had left nearby and reciting the two blessings of Hanukkah as she did so. But her heart just wasn't in the ritual. Her mind kept drifting to spending Christmas with Oliver and his family.

It wasn't as though she wouldn't get something out of the trip, she told herself. There was that promised bottle of wine which was nothing to sneeze at. And then there was the potential to make a significant vocational connection with Walter Steele. One could say that being friends with the QC CEO was connection enough, but Walter was overseeing the development of the new Applied Sciences division personally and she had her eyes on a promotion to that division. Applied Sciences was right up her alley and she wanted that job so badly she could almost taste it. Her interactions with Walter to date had been professional and brief and clearly she'd made a good enough impression on him to warrant him recommending her services to Oliver. Surely, a little more face time would only improve her chances when the hiring began, right?

Then, there was the potential for connecting with Oliver. Felicity hated to even consider it, remembering how Oliver had explained he was asking her because he needed someone who wasn't going to expect anything from him after the trip was over with. But still, she had hope. As pathetic as it was, she had hope.

Biting her lip, Felicity reached for her cell phone and flicked it on. She scrolled to Oliver's phone number in her contacts and stared at the picture she'd snapped of him to go with his contact information. He grinned back at her, blissfully unaware of her attraction to him. Could she do this? Could she _really_ pull this off?

Sighing, she tapped the "call" icon and held the phone to her ear.

"So wait, back up." Tommy set his drink down on the table and held his hand up. "You're bringing _Felicity_ to your family's cabin for a family Christmas?"

"Well, she hasn't said she'd do it yet…"

"I thought you wanted to get back with Laurel?" he asked, his voice rising over the steady thump of the music from the lower level of the club. They were ensconced in a booth in the VIP section, a benefit to being two of Starling City's beloved sons. "Which, I must reiterate, is a bad idea."

Oliver swallowed a groan as he sat back in their booth, taking a long drink of the Scotch he had in front of him. Tommy never failed to be vocal in his disapproval of his relationship with Laurel. Ever since he'd begun dating Laurel in high school, Tommy had been against the relationship. Whenever Oliver asked him about it, he just waved a hand and muttered something about how he didn't think they were compatible. Counting on Tommy's disapproval was like counting on the sun to rise in the morning. Oliver just got used to it.

"I do. And I'm making an effort on that front, believe me. But nothing is going to happen between now and Tuesday, when I need to be at the cabin with a steady girlfriend in tow. That's why I asked Felicity."

Tommy's brow furrowed as he leaned over the table. "So you like Felicity now?"

"No! I mean, yes, I like her. She's my friend. That's why I asked her, because she won't make it weird. She knows we're just friends," Oliver explained.

"Does she?" Skepticism dripped off of Tommy's voice as he picked up his manhattan and took a long drink.

"Oh, come on. You've had lunch with us before. Tell me if you've ever seen anything there other than just friendship?"

"Oliver, I saw a very beautiful, very smart young woman who clearly cared about you. What's more, I saw my best friend who clearly cared about her as well. I think this whole plan of yours is a disaster waiting to happen. You're going to hurt her and you're going to hurt yourself."

Oliver scoffed. Of course they cared about one another; they were friends. What Tommy was suggesting was that he had feelings for her and she had feelings for him and… no. That was _not_ happening.

"I disagree. I think this is the only way I can get through this holiday with my family without having to shackle myself to Helena Bertinelli."

"Well, I can appreciate the need to do that," Tommy agreed. He knew as well as Oliver did that Helena was a ticking time bomb of crazy. "I just wish I could witness the fallout of this terrible plan of yours because I'm sure it'll be the show of the season."

Oliver hummed as he took another drink of his Scotch. "Why don't you join us? You know we'd all love to have you and it'd get you away from your dad."

Tommy's eyebrows flew up. "What? Seriously, Ollie?"

"Yeah, why not? I'd love to have you there and you can keep me honest. I know Thea would be happy to have you too and my mom is so used to you hanging around I'm surprised she doesn't count you as one of her own children by now."

Tommy considered. He nodded slowly. "All right. I'll do it. Sure would beat hanging around Merlyn Manor, waiting for my father to find some new and interesting way to emotionally manipulate me." He barked out a humorless laugh and Oliver's heart went out for his best friend. He knew that Malcolm's treatment of Tommy and their relationship hurt his friend. He'd never been the best father but after Tommy's mother had been murdered by street thugs, it'd gotten so much worse. The two barely spoke anymore and when they did, there was always a confrontation.

"And you know we've got plenty of room at the cabin," Oliver mentioned, hoping to shift the subject away from Mr. Merlyn.

"I do remember all the raging parties we used to throw up there back in high school. Plenty of bedrooms for… well, I'm sure you recall."

A series of vivid images played back through Oliver's memory. Oh yes, he definitely did remember. In fact, there _were_ a few times where Tommy and he had shared a woman at that cabin. The details were hazy in his memory, but he could recall everyone having a _very_ good time. He chuckled.

"How could I ever forget?"

Just then, his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw Felicity's picture on the screen. He hadn't expected to hear from her until tomorrow. He hoped the early response didn't mean she'd decided against helping him out. "Hang on, its Felicity. I have to take this."

"Go ahead, my friend." Tommy sat back, sipping at his drink and watching him.

Oliver answered the call. "Felicity?"

"Hey, Oliver." He couldn't read anything off her voice which drove him mad.

"Are you calling because—"

"Because I made a decision? Yes, I am."

He held his breath. "And?"

"Well, I've thought about it. Actually, it's _all_ I've thought about. All day. Ever since you left my office, I've hardly been able to think about anything else. And I keep weighing the reasons to do it, which is chiefly to help you out, against all the reasons _not_ to do it which is _such_ a long list— Oliver, are you _sure_? Because I know you say this isn't a big deal and its just a little ruse but its also your _family_ and I don't know how I feel about lying to your family even if you're okay with it and—"

"Felicity. Land your plane."

She blew out a breath, gusting in his ear. "I'll do it. I know I probably shouldn't and I'll almost surely regret this but… I'll do it."

Relief coursed through him and he couldn't fight the grin that stretched his lips. "Oh, thank god. Felicity, thank you. You have no idea how grateful I am."

"Oh, I think I do. You owe me that wine, mister. And pretty much anything else I can think up for the foreseeable future."

"How about we start with a little shopping spree?" he suggested.

"What?"

"We need to get you some clothes. You pointed out yourself that my mother might not buy our relationship with your current wardrobe."

"So… you're going to take me shopping?"

"Unless you'd rather go by yourself."

"And pay for this new wardrobe myself? Not likely," she scoffed. Oliver huffed a laugh. That was the Felicity he knew.

"That's what I thought. I'll pick you up tomorrow. Just text me your address."

"That's it? You're not asking if I have plans already for tomorrow?"

"Do you have plans tomorrow?" he asked.

"No, as a matter of fact, I don't," she replied primly.

"Great. I'll pick you up around 1pm then."

"Are you going to act this way on our cozy romantic Christmas vacation? Because I feel that's something I should know ahead of time."

"Goodbye, Felicity."

"Bye, Oliver."

He hung up, grin still plastered on his face. Tommy met his eye from across the table and shook his head knowingly.

"You are in such big trouble, my friend."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Seriously, you guys, the outpouring of support for this story is amazing. Thank you EVERYONE for your favorites, likes, kudos, comments, reviews, reblogs... I had no idea that everyone else would love a "cheesy Christmas romance AU" as much as I do. Now we're getting down to the meat of the story and for anyone who was worried about the previous appearance of the Lance sisters: they don't feature very heavily in this story. This is all about Olicity, friends! **

Felicity was still second-guessing her decision to go along with Oliver's insane plan when he showed up at her town house the next afternoon. She was pacing the floor of her living room, chewing her lower lip and running her damp palms over her jeans when there was a knock at her door. She grabbed her phone and purse from the table next to the door and flung it open.

Oliver stood on the step, big smile in place. "I said thank you last night, didn't I? Can I say it again?"

"Just make sure I don't regret this," she warned him, stepping out and then turning around to lock her door.

"It'll be fun! Have you ever done Christmas before?" he asked.

"Once," she admitted, turning back to him and gesturing for him to lead the way. He walked down the steps and towards the shiny crossover parked at the curb. "I went home with my roommate for the holidays my sophomore year at MIT. It was fun, but I had to sleep on the bottom bunk of a bunkbed. Underneath her 8 year old brother. Not a highlight, I assure you."

Oliver chuckled as he unlocked the passenger side door for her and held it open. She climbed in as demurely as she could manage and took quick inventory of the interior of the vehicle. It smelled like him (of _course_ it did), and like leather from the cushy interior and there wasn't a lot of garbage. Everything was pretty neat and some classic rock was playing quietly over the stereo speakers. Obviously, from the high tech features and expensive looking trim, this wasn't the garden variety crossover and she would expect nothing less from Oliver Queen.

He slid in behind the wheel and grinned at her before starting the car up. "How about we start at the mall? There's some nice shops there that I know my sister likes to shop at."

"This is your rodeo, Oliver. Lead the way." She hoped her nerves didn't show as much as she feared they did.

"Is there anything I should know about you, going into this?" he asked as he pulled out into traffic.

"Hmm." She thought for a minute. It was probably a good idea to stick to the truth where possible, just to keep things simpler and easier to remember. "I'm turning 28 next month, my favorite color is purple, I'm afraid of needles and kangaroos… oh! And I'm allergic to peanuts. All nuts, really. That's probably important to know, going into meals and such."

"Kangaroos?"

"They look shifty, don't you think? Anyhow, what about you? Anything I should know that I don't know already?"

Oliver looked to be fighting a smile. "Uhm. I think you know just about everything there is to know about me."

"Favorite color?"

"Uh, blue."

"This car is blue," she pointed out, peering out the window at the hood.

"Dark blue, yes."

"What's your favorite season?"

"Spring. Yours?"

"Winter. Uh, how about sleeping habits? I'm assuming we're sharing a room, right? Anything I need to know about ahead of time?"

"I don't snore. Not loudly at least. I usually sleep in my underwear. I, uhm, I've been told I'm a blanket hog," he admitted bashfully. "How do you take your coffee? That's probably something I should know."

"Creamer and sugar, unless the creamer is sweetened, then just creamer."

"Don't you want to know how I take mine?"

"Black and strong," she answered, smirking. "All those coffee breaks we've taken together and you've never paid attention to how I took my coffee? Shameful. Bad boyfriend behavior, for sure."

Oliver flushed a little at that, which she found downright charming.

When they got to the mall, Oliver drove right up to the valet entrance. She'd always seen the valet at the mall (and often made fun of it to herself because seriously, why was there valet parking _at the mall_?), but didn't know anyone who actually _used_ it.

She tried not to gawk too much as Oliver passed the key to the attendant.

The first shop he steered her towards was a dress boutique that she'd never been in. It was trendy and spendy, a bit too much of the latter for her pocketbook. Oliver walked in as though he were at home and headed right for a dress rack near the middle of the store.

Felicity watched, open mouthed, as he started to pull dresses from the rack and started handing them to her. She checked the tags but they were all her size. "How do you know what size I wear?" she asked, amazed.

Oliver glanced up at her, his eyes traveling down her form and back up again. Felicity struggled not to flush. He shrugged. "Just a gift, I guess."

"You could go on 'America's Got Talent' with that, you know," she remarked. Oliver snorted.

When her arms were full of clothes, he shooed her towards the dressing rooms. "I'll be sitting right outside, I want to see each one." he told her.

Felicity eyed him as she edged towards a changing room. "You're starting to creep me out, you know."

Still, she did as he asked, trying on each dress, each skirt, each blouse and sweater. It actually began to be fun and she really hammed it up as she twirled and pirouetted for him. It turned out that Oliver had quite an eye for women's fashion and the outfits he declared his favorites were her favorites as well. The last dress was simple, flaring at the waist so the hem danced flirtatiously above her knees. The red color was very flattering to her eyes and skin tone and she loved it but there was a cutout right above her cleavage that made her feel a little self conscious.

But when Oliver saw it, he sat up straight in his chair, eyes wide. "Wow," he breathed, taking in the sight of her and she couldn't fight the blush that rose to her cheeks. "You are definitely getting that one."

"Seriously, Oliver? It shows my boobs! This is a _family_ holiday vacation!"

"You can wear it to dinner. Wait'll you see what my sister wears. You'll understand."

Felicity felt a little strange about the whole deal as she stood off to the side while Oliver paid for the outfits they'd decided on. But then she considered what her credit card bill would look like and how this was a favor she was doing for Oliver and… her guilt went away pretty quickly after that.

Next, he took her to a shoe shop and Felicity was surprised to discover how much she enjoyed trying on all those shoes. Though it really shouldn't have surprised her considering how much she enjoyed wearing new and interesting footwear to work. But her budget had never been able to accommodate the really fancy shoes so she'd steered clear, not wanting to tempt or torture herself. Now, she was trying on all the top brands, stilettos and t-straps and pumps and peep-toes… they were all gorgeous. Oliver grinned at her obvious delight and pointed out his favorites as she tried them on.

"Definitely these," he said, pointing at a pair of strappy silver stiletto sandals. That pair, easily the most expensive she'd tried on, looks amazing on her feet and elongated her legs and made her feel like, well… they made her feel amazing.

She nodded. "I agree. They'll look great with the red boob dress."

The clerk fitting the shoes on her feet looked up sharply at that remark and she had to bite back a giggle. Oliver's grin could almost be classified as a leer.

Next, he took her to a lingerie boutique.

"Really? Is this necessary?" she asked, pausing just outside the doors to the shop.

Oliver gave her a slightly impatient look. "Some of the clothes we purchased require more specialized undergarments," he explained. "Plus, you'll need some nightwear."

Felicity raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? And who's going to see if I'm wearing silk and lace or if I'm wearing an oversized Bug's Bunny nightshirt?"

Oliver's cheeks flushed a bit at her mention of wearing silk and lace and she definitely noticed. "My sister has been known to come barging into my room without knocking."

"Seriously? Isn't she twenty-one years old?"

Oliver shrugged and look aggrieved. "She's been doing it since she was a kid. And before you ask, yes, she has burst in when I've been… entertaining. It doesn't seem to stop her from doing it again, sadly enough."

"Right… Well, okay, lets go buy some bras!" Felicity marched into the shop, with Oliver following along behind her, chuckling softly.

Picking out unmentionables with Oliver Queen was an experience Felicity wasn't soon going to forget. Unsurprisingly, given the dress shop and the shoe store, he had quite a few opinions on lingerie. She found that she rather liked his taste and something about the way his fingers would linger on tiny bows and gathered tulle and satin straps made her whole body heat up. She wondered if he would see her wearing these things and what he might think if he did.

_Those are dangerous thoughts, Felicity_.

After selecting several sets of matching bras and underwear, they moved on to the night wear.

"Can I help you two?" a perky sales girl asked as Felicity was contemplating a teddy that surely revealed far more than it hid.

"I think we've got it under control," she said quickly, offering a tight lipped smile.

The girl looked from her to Oliver and her smile deepened. "Well, if you need any assistance or help finding a size, please let me know. I would be very happy to help"

"We will, thank you," Oliver said.

"And, can I just say? You two make the cutest couple," she gushed, winking at Felicity as though they shared a conspiratorial joke or something.

Felicity's cheeks immediately heated up. Oliver simply thanked her again and the girl disappeared. She pretended to be busy looking through a rack of silk chemises in order to avoid meeting his eyes. How embarrassing! Though, she completely understood why the girl would think they were a couple. I mean, how many platonic friends went shopping for lingerie together?

"Seeing anything you like?" he asked her, and his voice was a lot closer to her ear than she was expecting. She jumped, knocking a chemise off the hanger.

Quickly, she stooped to pick it up, hoping her hands weren't shaking too hard as she replaced it on the hanger. "I don't know. I really don't know what I should be looking for." She hadn't been kidding about the Big Bid nightshirt; it was one of her favorites.

"Here, let me help," he suggested. Oliver picked out a few lovely pieces that were demure enough that she wouldn't be too shy to be seen in them but classy (and sexy) enough to be believable. He also selected a lovely satin robe with a plush lining for her to wear as well. She smiled at him gratefully.

"What would I do without you here?" she asked.

"Go find a Tweetie Bird nightshirt to round out your collection?"

Felicity laughed at that. "Probably!"

They paid for their purchases and left the shop. It was starting to get late and she'd skipped lunch that day. Her stomach growled loudly. Oliver paused and looked at her, then burst out laughing.

"Is that your _stomach_?" he asked between gasps.

She blushed and tried to glare. "I'm hungry! I missed lunch today!"

"Tell you what, after we hit the makeup counter, how about I take you out for some burgers. There's a Big Belly Burger here in the mall and they're the best in town. I feel like I owe you, dragging you around all day."

She had to admit that sounded good. "Well, it's not like I'm not scoring some gorgeous new clothes out of the deal," she pointed out. Then, a thought occurred to her. "Unless… do you expect these clothes back after the holiday?"

"No, they're yours to keep, Felicity," he told her as they headed towards the department store makeup counter. "Consider it part of your Hanukkah present."

"Only part?" she teased.

Oliver reached for her hand, winding his fingers with hers. He smiled down at her. "You'll see."

She tried not to smile too widely as they made their way through the crowds of last minute Christmas shoppers. She really enjoyed the feel of his hand in hers, the way his fingers wrapped around her hand and enveloped hers with their warmth. Felicity could definitely get used to this. And it was such a bad idea to get used to this attention from Oliver. This wasn't for keeps or even remotely _real,_ but just for this one moment, she didn't mind pretending just a little.

Tuesday came quickly. Oliver had arranged with his executive assistant to have his schedule cleared for the rest of the week and also cleared Felicity for the time off from the IT department while he was at it. It didn't take him long to pack a suitcase in his penthouse apartment that morning and he couldn't help but think of Felicity doing the same thing in her townhouse across town.

He smiled as he loaded his suitcase into the back of his Porsche Macan and lowered the hatch. Shopping with her on Saturday had been more fun than he ever would have expected it would be. He'd already known that he got along well with her, but spending that much time in that intimate a setting had been much different from the odd coffee and lunch break here and there. It had felt… right. She'd babbled clear through dinner at Big Belly Burger, chattering happily about whatever subject came up and Oliver had been happy to just listen to her, supplying his answers where appropriate. He found he enjoyed the way her eyes lit up and her hands would wave in the air when she got animated about something.

He knew that the fact that they were such good friends would make this ruse so much easier to endure. He doubted he could ever pretend to have a relationship with someone he didn't have that sort of easy friendship with. Plus, if he was really being honest, watching her try on some of the clothes and shoes had stirred something in him. He wrote it off to being a red blooded male, nothing more. Any guy with a pulse would have felt aroused watching a beautiful woman like Felicity model for him.

Oliver shoved those thoughts aside as he pulled up in front of Felicity's townhouse. He was just getting out of the car when her door opened and Felicity appeared on the doorstep, pulling her suitcase behind her. She was wearing one of the few outfits they'd purchased that included pants. It was skinny jeans that hugged her hips and elongated her legs, paired with a designer cashmere sweater. Her hair was down, as he'd suggested and she was wearing contacts instead of her usual glasses. The effect was… amazing. Oliver had to blink a few times, clear his vision, make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

After a long moment where he had to be sure not to swallow his own tongue, Oliver hurried forward to help her with the suitcase. He grabbed the handle, pulling it towards him, but never took his eyes off her face. "You look fantastic!" he told her.

She blushed a little, smiling. "Thanks. I thought about wearing a dress, but then I remembered you saying it was a couple hours in the car to get up there and thought this might be more comfortable."

"That makes sense." He smiled at her, wanting to do something else. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hug her or take her hand or … what. Instead, he turned and carried her suitcase down to the car. Once he had it stowed in the back of the car, he intended to open the passenger door of her but found she was already seated, buckling herself in. So much for chivalry.

As he got behind the wheel, Oliver realized this strange feeling he was experiencing was _nervousness_. When was the last time he'd been nervous around a woman? Probably his second grade teacher, Mrs. Hammersmith. She'd been damn scary. And Felicity had nothing in common with her so what was his problem?

The rock station he'd been listening to was playing and Felicity wrinkled her nose and reached for the audio controls.

"What are you doing?"

"I can't listen to this for two hours," she explained. "We should get in the mood instead." Before he could ask _for what?_, she had found a Christmas music station and turned up the volume. "All I Want For Christmas Is You" started to blare through his speakers, causing him to wince.

"I thought you didn't celebrate Christmas?" he grumbled, turning onto the highway headed east out of town .

"No, but I thought I should fake it till I make it, you know? Besides, you'd have to be a total grinch to hate _all_ Christmas music. Some of the songs are fantastic."

Oliver thought maybe he should look into getting fitted for a pair of shoes two sizes too small if that was the case. "Are we going to have to listen to this the whole way there?" he complained.

Felicity turned down the volume a bit. "We could talk," she suggested.

"All right. Why don't you tell me about your favorite Hanukkah growing up." It was a great plan, to get her talking. It would drown out the music and he could learn more about her and her family at the same time. Learning more about her had to be good for making their ruse more believable, right?

He wasn't expecting the dark shadow that crossed her face, however. He glanced at her, concerned. "What's wrong?"

Felicity sighed. "Nothing. I mean, it's okay. I just— didn't have the greatest holidays growing up."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently.

"Not really." She turned her face and looked out the window. Oliver felt awful; angry with himself for bringing up a subject which was unpleasant for her and upset at seeing the bright smile gone from her face.

"My best holiday was when I was eight," he said, hoping that if he told his story, it would distract her. "My sister had been born just weeks before, right after Thanksgiving. She was sick when she was born though and had to stay at the hospital for a few weeks. They had her in the NICU and I couldn't visit because I was just a kid. My parents were constantly down at the hospital, understandably, but for an 8 year old kid right around Christmas, I couldn't really understand. All I knew was that they didn't have any time for me, my dad wasn't helping me decorate the family tree and my mom wasn't baking cookies with me…

"Raisa, our housekeeper, was amazing. She filled the gap as best she could and she really took me under her wing during that month. She helped me decorate the tree, she helped me make cookies, and she talked to me about what was going on with my baby sister. She explained to me that she was sick and how it might be nice of me to make her a Christmas present for when she came home. I still remember sitting at the table in the kitchen while Raisa helped me cut out fabric in the shape of a teddy bear and stuff it with fluff and sew it back up by hand… It was the ugliest looking bear you ever did see, of course. But I was so proud of it because I _made_ that.

"So when my parents brought Thea home on Christmas Eve, I couldn't wait to meet her, to hold her and to show her the present I'd made for her. Of course, she was just a baby and couldn't even hold the bear, but I didn't even care because I fell in love with her as I sat in the chair next to the Christmas tree and held her on my lap. She was my _sister_ and I loved her."

Felicity was facing him and he could see her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "That's so beautiful, Oliver, thank you for sharing it. And what a lovely memory to have. You are so lucky."

He smiled back before returning his attention to the road. "Thea and I have always been close as a result. I know most guys would be annoyed by their baby sister chasing around after them but I never minded with her."

"Tell me this," she said. "What happened to the bear?"

He laughed. "I tucked that bear in her crib with her every night. Eventually, she got bigger and started to hold onto it, drag it everywhere with her… When the bear, she named him Speedy by the way, would get a rip, she'd bring him to me to sew back up. Who knows, maybe she'll have him at the cabin and you'll get to meet him."

Felicity giggled and it was such a light, lovely sound that he instantly decided he needed to hear a lot more often. "I hope I do!"

They fell into easy conversation after that, talking over more things that they thought might help pad their ruse. How long had they been dating? Four months, though they decided to stay with the first meeting as it took place two years ago since it was a good scenario and there was a possibility that Walter could remember giving Oliver Felicity's name when he asked for help with his laptop. Has he met her family yet? No (and this is where Felicity got quiet again). What about the whole Jewish thing? Felicity thought it might be easier to just pretend she celebrated Christmas, just to avoid any potentially uncomfortable questions. It wasn't as though she'd brought her Menorah with her or anything. Oliver felt bad about her having to make sacrifices but she assured him it was okay.

He got the impression she did that a lot, made concessions for others at the cost of herself. He wondered if she even really realized she did it. When was the last time someone did something completely for her without wanting something in return? He knew he hadn't.

They stopped for lunch at a little diner partway up the mountain. It was just above the snow line and Felicity looked enchanted with the dusting of snow that clung to the trees surrounding the parking lot.

"Just wait till you see the snow up at the cabin," he warned her. "This is nothing."

When they got back in the car, Felicity was quieter than she'd been during lunch. He noticed her playing with her fingernails and looking out the window.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked.

"I'm just… do you really think I can pull this off?"

Oliver blinked. "Of course. What are you talking about? You'll be fine!"

"But … this is your family! And your mom has a bit of a reputation around Queen Consolidated. She's pretty shrewd, from what I hear. What if she can tell that it's not real? What if she can tell that I'm a fake?"

"You are _not_ a fake, Felicity."

"You know what I mean. I'm not your girlfriend. The concept is completely unthinkable. I don't think I'm crazy for worrying that Moira will see through it!"

Oliver's mouth dropped open and he didn't know quite what to say, only that her assertion that they were unthinkable as a couple was… wrong. "Felicity… just— Don't worry about it. I'll handle the details, I'll smooth it over. I promise it'll be okay."

"You can't know that, Oliver," she said, her voice small.

"Felicity, I _promise _you. If my mom gets suspicious, I'll take care of it. She listens to me."

She looked doubtful and he couldn't help but find the way she was chewing on her lower lip to be completely adorable. "Okay. I'll try to relax. If I'm calm, we're more likely to sell it, right?"

"That's the spirit."

The road climbed from there and before too long, Oliver turned off onto a smaller road which led up a twisty, winding road through trees that were positively coated in snow. He enjoyed the way Felicity gawked out the window at the drifts of snow that rose up on either side of the road. She'd told him she grew up in Las Vegas and Starling City might get a dusting here and there, but nothing like this. She looked like a kid on Christmas. Appropriate, he supposed. He found himself beginning to wonder if he could coax her outside once they arrived to build a snowman.

Just over two hours from when they'd left the house, Oliver pulled off the road and onto a small driveway. "How is there no snow on the pavement?" Felicity asked, eyeing the flakes that were now drifting down from the dark, grey clouds overhead.

"The driveway is heated," he explained.

"Seriously? There's such a thing as _heated driveways_?" She sounded incredulous and he could tell she was feeling nervous again.

He reached over the console and patted her knee, his hand lingering for a moment when he felt the warmth of her skin through her jeans before he snatched it back away. "Brace yourself. You'll be fine. We're here."

The house appeared through the trees and Oliver pulled the Porsche around the circular driveway so that he was parked right before the steps to the front door. The cabin, though it was a loose interpretation of the word, wasn't quite as large as the Queen Mansion back in Starling was still larger than most people's homes. And from the stunned expression on Felicity's face, it was a lot grander than she'd been expecting.

Snow was piled all around the house, covering the roof in a very picturesque manner. Christmas lights were strung from nearly every available surface with white twinkle lights sparkling in the trees that framed the porch. Lush wreaths festooned the doors and the entire effect was like something out of a Christmas card.

Oliver got out of the driver's seat and hurried around the car to her door, pulling it open for her. He held out his hand to help her out and she took it but he could tell her attention wasn't on him. She was still gaping at the house.

He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by the front door flying open. "Ollie!" a familiar voice screeched. There was a blur of color and a moment later, he was nearly knocked off his feet by a very enthusiastic Thea Queen. "You made it!"

"Of course I did. I promised I would," he told her, setting her back down on the ground. He noticed his sister's attention slide to Felicity who was starting to look pale. He smiled, putting an arm around her waist and pulling hr to him. "Thea, I'd like you to meet Felicity Smoak."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Once again, thank you everyone for reading along with this silly bit of fluff I cooked up. I'm sorry people were disappointed that I didn't have Tommy travel up with them, I hadn't even considered it actually. I thought it was more important to thrust these two together first off without having Tommy there as a buffer. Don't worry, he will stir the pot later on but certain "milestones" needed to be achieved before I could go there. If he'd been in the car, he probably would have ridden shot gun and he and Oliver would have talked sports all the way up there while Felicity played on her phone in the backseat. BORING! :D Anyhow. I hope this chapter satisfies you a bit more as we get to see Felicity meeting his family. **

Oliver's sister was looking at her with a curious expression. Thea Queen was a beautiful girl, taller than Felicity by a few inches and slender with long, waving brown hair and big, soulful green eyes. She didn't share many features with Oliver, but perhaps she took more after her father and Oliver took after his mother. Her gaze on Felicity was unnerving and she could almost predict what the younger Queen was thinking: _Who is this girl? Where did she come from? What is she doing with my brother?_

An instant later, she stuck a hand out towards Felicity. "Hi, nice to meet you, Felicity. I'm Thea." The smile on the pretty brunette's face was genuine.

Some of the tension in her shoulders relaxed. "Hi, Thea. Thanks for letting me horn in on your holiday."

"Nonsense, we're happy to have you! Oliver hasn't told us a thing about you, so you're going to have to satisfy my curiosity. Promise you'll tell me if I get too personal, okay?"

The nerves in her belly jumped. "Okay, I promise."

Thea suddenly engulfed her in a hug and Felicity caught a glimpse of Oliver chuckling over his sister's shoulder. She quickly got over her shock and returned the hug.

When she released her, Thea turned around and motioned towards the young man still standing in the doorway. "This is Roy Harper. He's my boyfriend. He doesn't talk much but he's sure cute, don't you think?"

Felicity bit back a grin. She held out a hand for Roy to shake when he approached. He was a serious looking young man with a chiseled jaw and thick eyebrows. He looked like he could have stepped off the pages of a magazine, honestly. She began to wonder if everyone at this "cabin" was going to be so insanely attractive. Oliver shook the boyfriend's hand next and she couldn't help but notice that he squeezed a little more tightly than was called for. That had to be an older brother thing. Roy didn't look intimidated, however, but his jaw thrust out a little more and he met Oliver's gaze head on.

"Why don't you all come inside instead of lingering out in the cold?" a voice from the doorway said. They all turned to see Moira Queen standing there, looking regal as ever even in what Felicity imagined must be termed "casual clothes." Somehow Moira made knit slacks and a soft flyaway cardigan look formal.

"Good idea," Oliver replied. "Roy, why don't you help me with the bags here. Thea, Felicity, go on inside."

Felicity had hoped to hide from his mother's sharp gaze from behind Oliver's back. Thea grabbed her hand and pulled her along towards the door and she allowed herself to be lead. Felicity tried to recall all the encouraging things Oliver had said to her during their drive up here to give herself courage.

Once inside the house, Moira greeted Felicity with an outstretched hand. Instead of shaking, she simply grasped her hand and held it. "Welcome to our temporary home for the holiday, Felicity. Oliver hasn't told us much about you but I'm hoping you can fix that while you're here with us," she said. Her words sounded friendly enough but there was a coolness to the matriarch's tone that made Felicity feel a little ill at ease. Plus, the warmth never seemed to reach her eyes.

"Thank you for having me, Mrs. Queen. I look forward to getting to know all of you," she said in as clear a voice as she could manage. Moira smiled cooly at her and she didn't miss the way the other woman's eyes traveled down over her in an appraising fashion.

"Tell me, where did you and my son meet?" she asked.

_Crap_. She wasn't buying it. Felicity opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by Roy and Oliver arriving with suitcases in tow.

"Why don't you let her get settled in before you give her the third degree, Mother," Oliver suggested. He smiled at Felicity encouragingly and she felt a wave of gratitude. Moira smiled, though the expression still wasn't meeting her eyes

"Of course. Thea, why don't you show them which room is theirs?"

"Gladly! Come on, I'll give you the tour," Thea said, grabbing Felicity's arm and pulling her along. Glad to put off a searching conversation with Mrs. Queen, Felicity allowed herself to be dragged from the entryway, Oliver and Roy following close behind.

"This place is amazing," she breathed, looking around as they headed up a wide staircase framed with sanded and treated logs. Out from under Moira's scrutiny, Felicity finally felt free to notice and appreciate her surroundings.

If she'd questioned the "cabin" status of this home from the driveway, she was ready to throw the description out the window entirely now. The entryway had been as large as her entire home and tastefully decorated with swags of fresh balsam and other holiday themed knickknacks. The swags followed them up the staircase, perfuming the air.

"We like it," Thea was saying.

"How long has your family had it? Do you come up often?"

"The cabin has been in the family since before I was around. Oliver might know when they actually got it."

Felicity glanced over her shoulder at Oliver. "They had it when I was born too. When we were kids, we used to come up here all the time. Not always for Christmas but at least a few times during the winter and sometimes the summer as well."

The upstairs hallway had less Christmas decorations but the exposed log look continued down the walls. Tasteful art hung here and there and a plush rug ran the length of the hall. Thea gestured down towards the end of the hall. "You guys are the last room on the right. Roy and I are two doors down… right here." She rapped on the door.

"We're in the master bedroom? What about mom and Walter?" Oliver asked.

"You must have missed it. They had an addition built last year, another master suite was added down on the first floor and that's where they're staying."

Felicity felt like her heart was going to pound right out of her chest. She knew that she and Oliver would likely be sharing a room, but knowing it and experiencing it were two entirely different things.

"Thanks, sis, we'll just get these suitcases taken care of and be right back down," Oliver told her. Felicity took her bag from Roy and the other couple left them to continue on to their room alone.

Oliver pushed the door open and a laugh bubbled out of her throat unbidden as Felicity dropped the handle of her suitcase. She'd been so shocked by everything so far that this room shouldn't have been a surprise and yet… somehow it _was_.

The walls were more exposed log, vaulting up to a steep pitch. An enormous bed dominated the wall underneath the steepest pitch, underneath leaded windows that displayed the woods outside and the snow falling steadily. The room didn't lack for windows, actually, each looking out onto the picturesque wilderness and swirling snow. A set of double doors lead to a balcony and an enormous carved fireplace faced the bed, a fire already roaring in the grate.

"All of this is for us?" she squeaked.

"Yup. It's nice, huh? Best room in the house, in my opinion. Though I haven't seen the new addition yet."

Her eyes landed again on the bed, covered in a fluffy white down comforter and more pillows than she could count. It was a gorgeous bed and she almost couldn't wait to sink down into it. But… it was also the only bed in the room. There was a wingback chair and a small table over by the doors to the balcony but aside from that and the padded bench at the foot of the bed, there were no other surfaces. She slid her gaze over to Oliver to find that he was watching her carefully, as though he expected her to suddenly bolt.

"There's only one bed," she pointed out.

"I know." He continued to watch her.

"But… how…?"

He stepped up to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Felicity. I promise to be a gentleman. It's a big bed, I'm sure we can sleep in there together without it being a big deal. We don't even have to touch."

Felicity blew out a breath. She knew he was right. But to be so close to him, all night long… It just seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. What if she forgot in the middle of the night and snuggled up to him? She'd always been a cuddler. How horribly awkward would that be?

"I'm sure you're right," she said, forcing a smile.

"You haven't seen the rest of the room yet." He stepped away from her to gesture at an arched doorway next to the fireplace. "There's a closet here and then the bathroom…"

She stepped through the arch and… okay, she was going to be taking a bath before bed. The bathroom was like something out of a magazine. There was a huge vanity, a separate room for the toilet, an enormous shower with more shower heads than she'd ever seen in one place before in her life and then there was the bathtub…

Set under another pitched ceiling and before a set of leaded glass windows, the humungous coper plated tub was set before a stone fireplace and actually had two sets of stone steps that lead up the sides so you could climb in. It was less "bathtub" and more "hot tub" but Felicity wasn't about to complain.

"Wow," she breathed.

"Nice, huh? I thought you'd like that."

"You thought right!"

"Does this make the situation with the bed worth it?"

"I think it goes a long way towards making me forget, lets put it that way."

Oliver chuckled.

They dealt with their suitcases and Felicity marveled at how it felt to hang her (new) clothes in such a fancy and spacious closet. When they were both unpacked, they headed back downstairs and this time, Oliver lead her into the living room.

There was another enormous fireplace, made of river rock this time, and a giant Christmas tree glittering in the corner of the room, right in front of the bank of floor to ceiling windows. Everything was about ten times more fancy than she was used to but still somehow homey and cozy. Comfortable looking throw blankets were draped across the backs of the sofas and chairs and the fire in the fireplace added a warmth to the room that was accentuated by the festive but tastefully decorated tree. Thea and Roy were cuddled up on one of the sofas while Moira and Walter sat in the matching chairs, sipping at tea and reading books. Everyone looked up as they entered and Walter got to his feet.

"Miss Smoak, lovely to see you again," he greeted, taking her hand. Unlike his wife, the warmth reached his dark eyes and set her immediately at ease.

"You remember who I am?"

"Of course, I make it my business to know who the most valuable employees at Queen Consolidated are."

Felicity blushed and felt the thrill of his words. "Well. Thank you for opening your lovely home to me," she said.

"I trust the room is suitable?"

"More than! It's gorgeous."

Walter smiled and she couldn't resist smiling back. "I'm glad. Make yourself at home, Felicity. We're here to have fun and relax."

She glanced at Moira who was watching with a detached interest and thought that was probably easier said than done.

A loud and melodic chiming rang out and everyone stilled and looked towards the entryway.

"That must be Tommy," Oliver said and he rushed out of the room to answer the door. Felicity had met Tommy a time or two, when he'd joined her and Oliver for lunch, and found him to be a fun guy. It was hard to get a read on him, he tended to hide under charm and banter, but the sense she got was that he cared deeply about Oliver and that meant he couldn't be all bad.

Moments later, both men appeared at the doorway to the living room. Tommy had a broad grin on his face and a duffle bag in one hand. With a squeal, Thea launched herself out of Roy's arms and across the room to him, enveloping him in a huge hug. Tommy laughed and hugged her back.

"Its good to see you, Tommy," Moira said. "I'm glad Oliver thought to invite you."

"Couldn't miss a party with my favorite Queens, could I?" he quipped, winking.

His attention turned to Felicity and his smile deepened. "Hey, Felicity. Good to see you here."

It occurred to her right in that moment that Tommy knew this relationship was a sham. Of course he knew. And while she didn't expect him to reveal it, she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about him _knowing_. So all she could do was smile weakly back at him and say, "Hey, Tommy. You too."

Thea and Moira looked between the two of them. "Well, at least someone has met Felicity before. Way to share with the rest of the class, Oliver," Thea muttered.

Tommy choked back a laugh, Felicity blushed and Oliver looked distinctly aggrieved.

The afternoon went smoothly, or as smoothly as one could hope with this particular group of people. Oliver didn't really care for the way his mother kept glancing at Felicity, but Walter, Roy, and Thea all were welcoming her with open arms. And Tommy adored her, of course. But then, he and Tommy had often had similar taste in women.

Dinner was in an hour and Thea had roped Felicity into playing a game of Monopoly with her and Roy. Tommy was unpacking in his room just down the hall, across from Thea and Roy's room. Oliver retreated to the room he was sharing with Felicity, feeling a little out of sorts.

He didn't even know what he had to feel out of sorts about. Things were going well. But maybe they were going _too_ well. He found he liked having Felicity there, was enjoying spending this time with her and he liked to watch her interact with his family. It aroused something in his chest; something unfamiliar. It made him worry, actually. Because until he'd closed himself up in this room two minutes ago, he hadn't once thought of Laurel all day long.

He'd thought of her multiples times a day ever since she'd broken up with him. Even while he was waiting and giving her space to think and realize they were worth fighting for, he thought of her. She was his future, he'd been sure of it since he was a teenager. But today, she'd been far from his mind and in her place was… Felicity. It made him feel at odds with himself. He had to do something to remind himself of his goals in all of this.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he pulled his phone from his pocket. He dialed Laurel's number and wasn't terribly surprised when she didn't answer. Sighing, he left a voicemail.

"Laurel, it's Oliver. I just wanted to wish you a happy holiday. I hope you're enjoying the time with your family. And I wanted you to know I'm thinking about you." He cringed briefly at the lie. "Anyhow, I still want to talk. I still want a chance, Laurel. Call me if you want to talk too."

He hung up and sighed. That was a terrible message. But it was out there and there was no taking it back. A moment later, his phone rang in his hand and he answered right away without even check to see who was calling first.

"Laurel?"

"It's Sara."

"Oh. Hey, Sara. What's up?"

"Listen. I saw you called Laurel. I was sitting next to her when her phone rang."

"Oh. Why didn't she answer?"

"Oliver, you need to back off. I'm trying to get her to open up to me but I can't get that done if you're hovering," Sara pointed out.

"I know, it's just… I felt like I had to call her."

"Ollie. Do you want to be with her?"

"Yes, I want to be with her. You know that."

"Fine. Then you're going to have to back off." Sara paused for a moment. "How's your family thing going? Is your mom on your case?"

"No."

"Did you find someone to bring with you?"

He was reluctant to tell her about inviting Felicity along to pose as his girlfriend. He always used to tell Sara everything, just like he told Tommy everything. But something about this felt like he should keep it to himself.

"No, I didn't bring anyone up here with me."

"Well, that's good, I guess. So, do you think you can let me handle this with Laurel?"

"Yeah, I can. I'm sorry, Sara."

"Don't tell me that. Tell her."

"I'm trying to."

"Just give me a chance, okay?"

"Okay, I will Sara. Thanks, I really appreciate what you're doing."

"Not a problem. You're my friend, Oliver. And I'm part of this problem, I feel like I need to fix it."

"Yeah, so do I. Have a merry Christmas. Give your sister a hug for me, okay?"

"I can do that. Bye, Ollie."

Oliver ended the call and stared at his phone for a minute before he heard a noise over by the door. Looking up, he saw Felicity standing there, watching him with an unreadable expression.

"I came to get my heavy coat. Thea and Roy wanted to go out and play in the snow," she explained, gesturing towards the closet helplessly.

He realized that she'd probably overheard his phone conversation and wondered what all she'd heard. He swallowed. "That sounds like fun. Am I invited along?"

She shrugged and when she looked at him, he saw a hard glint in her eye. "Sure. If you don't have anyone better to talk to, that is."

Yeah. She'd heard. Oliver hid his cringe. "No, I don't. Let me just go get my coat."

The rest of the evening was a little stilted between him and Felicity. Oliver now knew that she'd overheard his conversation to Sara, but he wondered why she was giving him the cold shoulder about it. Surely, she hadn't overheard anything she didn't already know. And it's not like she'd really care about him wanting to call Laurel anyhow, would she?

She avoided him while the group of them cavorted outside in the snow, addressing either Thea, Roy or Tommy directly instead of him. No one else seemed to notice it but he sure did. And then, at dinner, she sat on the other side of the table from him, next to Roy on one side and Walter on the other. She spent the entirety of dinner discussing Queen Consolidated business with Walter and seemed to be utterly in her element. Oliver was left to talk to Tommy and his mother, which was fine, but he missed Felicity's smiles aimed in his direction.

Everyone gathered in the living room to watch some holiday movies after dinner. Felicity sat on the sofa with Thea and Roy, not leaving any room for him, he couldn't help but notice. But rather than sit on the other sofa with Tommy and his mother (Walter was off in his study going over some paperwork that he wanted to get faxed in before the holiday), he sat on the floor in front of Felicity, going so far as to lean against her legs.

She didn't say a word to him, not during National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation or during the animated Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer they watched afterwards. She ignored him completely. He hated it.

As soon as the second movie was over, she'd excused herself to the room and Oliver had been quick to follow once he'd seen his mother's raised eyebrow. Worried that she'd noticed the coldness between them, he wanted to catch Felicity before she fell asleep so they could get whatever this was out of the way.

Despite only being a few minutes behind her, Felicity was in bed when he got to the room. She was on the side of the bed furthest from the door, on her side and facing towards the balcony windows. He let the door close with a bang and noticed she didn't flinch. Still awake, then.

He crossed to the closet and began to remove his clothes. "I know you're not asleep yet," he called out to her as he toed off his boots.

"I wasn't pretending to be," came the muttered response.

Oliver finished peeling out of his clothes and slipped on a pair of pajama pants, for modesty's sake. He liked to sleep either naked or in his underwear but he doubted Felicity would appreciate that, especially right now. He strode back into the room and saw she hadn't moved so much as a muscle. Grunting, he shut the overhead light off, leaving the lamp next to his side of the bed on and crawled between the sheets. He turned his back to her as well, facing the door and huffed into the pillow as he tried to get comfortable.

"Could you try not shaking the bed around so much?" she grumbled.

"Excuse me for trying to get comfortable," he muttered. "Love this friendly mood you've got going on, sure doesn't make this at all awkward."

"If I'm annoyed it's because you're the one endangering this whole ruse with your… shenanigans." Felicity yanked on the down comforter, causing it to pull back, leaving him half exposed.

"_My_ shenanigans? What the hell are you talking about? Is this about the phone calls I made earlier?" He yanked back on the comforter, finding her to still be gripping it hard and he huffed in annoyance.

"Sneaking phone calls to your _one true love_ is dangerous," she pointed out snippily. "What if someone had heard you besides me?"

"No one did hear me but you and I know what I'm doing," he growled.

"I find that very hard to believe. I'm starting to see why Laurel gave you the boot." She yanked back again and this time he let her.

Her words stung. He still wasn't sure why she was so upset. It couldn't just be about damaging the ruse, could it?

"Can we just put it behind us? Please? My mom is going to start to suspect if you keep giving me the cold shoulder like this."

Oliver heard her sigh heavily. "Fine. Consider it forgotten. Will you let me sleep now?"

"Be my guest."

They each remained on their side, facing away from one another. Oliver reached over and turned off his lamp, plunging the room into darkness. The silence was nearly oppressive and he felt the gulf between them keenly as he shut his eyes and willed sleep to come.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Wow, again you all humble me. Thanks for being the best readers ever. 3 Also, I'm impressed at the number of people who were so angry at Oliver last chapter! And here I was worried that Felicity didn't have enough reason to be snippy with him. ;) If you're expecting more angst this chapter, I have bad news. Nothing but fluff here! *throws snowflake confetti in the air* Hold onto the sweet while we have our hearts torn out tonight!**

Felicity woke up feeling heavy, as though every limb weighed an extra five pounds and was pressing her further into the mattress. She was warm and surrounded and it felt pretty nice, actually. So she ignored it for a minute while she allowed herself to come awake completely.

The problem was, the more alert she grew, the more she realized that there was actually something laying across her, pressing her down. Slowly, she pulled her own arm out from underneath her body and reached up to her midsection, where a good deal of the weight was pressing. The other weight was across her legs but she was starting to get a bad feeling so she decided to go with the midsection first. She felt with her fingertips and found… warm skin. Arm hair. Oh god.

Felicity shifted a little and there was an answering rumble that she felt through her ribcage. The weight over her shifted too and his scent filled her nose. Dammit, he smelled wonderful. Of course he did. There was no mistaking it, Oliver Queen was cuddling with her. And she'd been cuddling him right back.

They were spooned together, his back pressed against and halfway over her, a leg tossed over hers and while it should have been stifling and uncomfortable, she felt warm and safe. She could feel his breath puffing onto the back her neck and fought the urge to snuggle into him further. She was _supposed_ to be angry at him. Though, admittedly, she'd been over that anger before she'd headed to bed last night. By that point, her testiness had become an aching disappointment that settled beneath her breastbone uncomfortably. What did she care if he wanted to talk to Laurel, to make up with Laurel? So what if he'd lied to Sara about bringing her up here? He'd made no secret of the fact that he wished to get back together with Laurel and it made sense that he would still be trying to get through to her.

The problem, of course, was that Felicity had done exactly what she'd been warning herself _not_ to do. She was letting herself get attached to Oliver. He'd been so lovely with her and the more she knew him and his family, the more she liked him and wanted to know more. She hadn't been ready for the reality that was his feelings for Laurel and it had stung, bitterly.

He didn't deserve her anger. Felicity knew hat. It was silly to act that way and now, in the harsh light of day that was currently streaming through the windows (albeit muted from the cloud cover), she felt embarrassed that she'd acted that way. Perhaps she could find a way to make it up to him today. She could probably start by not taking advantage of his early morning cuddliness. He probably thought she was Laurel or something.

She started to shift away from him, feeling the loss of his heat keenly as her body separated from his. It required sliding over the sheets and letting herself fall, as gently as possible of course, to the floor. Perched on her hands and knees, she peered up over the edge of the mattress, and saw Oliver mutter as his brow furrowed but he simply grabbed her pillow and rolled onto it.

Phew. That was close.

She got to her feet and was just turning towards the bathroom when…

"Felicity?"

Whirling around, she saw him awake, his blue eyes on her and that furrow still between his brows. She promptly bit down on her lower lip as he moved to sit up. The comforter pooled around his waist, showing off his bare torso and she couldn't even fight the widening of her eyes. She hadn't ever seen Oliver shirtless before, but even clothed she could tell that he was well built. Now, she could see just how right she'd been about that.

All her adult life, she'd claimed that muscles didn't really do anything for her but maybe she'd just been looking at the wrong muscles. His shoulders were broad, his arms as wide as her thighs and his chest, well, Felicity wasn't entirely sure that she wasn't starting to drool. Catching herself, she jerked her eyes up to his.

He was grinning at her.

"Did you say something?" she asked, fighting a blush.

His grin grew positively smug. "I asked where you were going."

Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. "Oh. I— uh, I was going to the bathroom to get a shower before breakfast."

"Mm. What were you doing on the floor?"

"Excuse me?"

"What were you doing on the floor? When I opened my eyes, you were down on the floor. Did you drop something?"

There was something knowing about his smile that told her he knew exactly why she was on the floor. "How long have you been awake?"

"Since just before you slid out from under me."

Oh… _Crap_. "Oh, uhm, sorry about that."

"Why are you sorry? Wasn't I the on who was wrapped around you?"

An image of that bare chest pressed against her rose to her mind and she had to fight it off. "Oliver…"

"You're not still upset with me, are you?"

Felicity relaxed a little. "No, I'm not. And I'm sorry for being so difficult yesterday."

"Why were you mad?" His brow furrowed adorably and she had an unconscious urge to reach over and smooth it with her fingers. H was clueless, even if adorably so.

"It's stupid. It's nothing," she assured him. Then she jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "I'm just gonna… go. I'll be out in a minute and then its all yours. Sound good?"

Oliver made a frustrated face for a moment but nodded. "Sounds good."

Felicity escaped into the bathroom and shut the door with a sigh of relief. Moments like that were absolutely not going to help her with her resolve to keep her feelings for Oliver in check. One more morning of waking up in his arms was likely going to be the death of her.

Breakfast was surprisingly chaotic. Felicity hadn't expected that, given that dinner had been so organized and downright elegant the night before. This morning, however, the kitchen was a crush of people arguing, cooking, and sniffing for coffee. Felicity counted herself in the third group and joined Tommy over at the coffee pot.

"Not done brewing yet?" she asked, feeling a little panicked. Tommy turned to her, an equally panicked look on his face and shook his head.

"No. This is unacceptable."

Felicity giggled at his widened eyes. "I agree."

Oliver came up behind her, his hair still damp from the shower, and put his hands on her shoulders. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against her temple. "Why don't you go get a seat at the table? I'll bring you a cup."

She felt a jolt of surprise, first at the feel of his lips against her forehead and then at offer to bring her coffee. Remembering her part, however, she smiled and turned a little to face him. "Thanks, Oliver."

She had a seat at the kitchen table, where Moira was already seated and looking through a paper that they must have brought up from Starling, judging by the date on the front. The Queen matriarch didn't look up as she sat and Felicity tried not to feel slighted. Soon, she was joined by Roy and Thea, the latter placing a plate with scrambled eggs and toast in front of her.

"Thank you! You didn't have to cook breakfast for me," Felicity said appreciatively.

Thea shrugged as she dug into her own pile of eggs. "It was nothing. I was already making some for Roy and I and scrambled eggs are so easy, why not make enough for everyone?"

"Well, I'll do the dishes then," she offered.

"I'll help." Oliver appeared just then, dropping down into the seat beside her and placing a coffee mug next to her plate. God help her, she almost kissed him for that. Instead, she flushed, grabbed her mug and took a deep swallow. He'd remembered the creamer, bless him.

"You are one of God's true gifts," she told him earnestly.

Oliver just chuckled.

Everyone chattered happily as they ate and Felicity was filled with a warmth that she hadn't felt, well, maybe ever. She'd never had family like this, growing up. It'd been just her and her mom for so long and her mom was so busy trying to keep food on their table and a roof over their heads. She'd never realized just how much she'd been missing out on.

As she was clearing up the table and Oliver was soaking the pan that was used to cook the eggs, Moira finally addressed her directly.

"Why don't you two spend the day together? There's plenty of activities for you to enjoy around the cabin and Oliver, you could show her all your old favorite places."

If Felicity's mouth was hanging open a bit, Oliver's jaw was practically dragging on the floor. He recovered first, however. "Uh, sure, Mom. Good idea."

Felicity found herself nodding her agreement.

As Oliver pulled her away from the kitchen by the hand, she wondered what sort of day she was in for. And why was Moira Queen suddenly caring how much time she spent with Oliver? Had she just imagined the calculating glint in the matriarch's eyes?

An hour later, Oliver and Felicity walked out the front door of the cabin, decked out in winter gear. Well, he was wearing winter gear, but Felicity looked more like a model in a "winter wear" spread in a fashion magazine.

"You sure you're gonna be warm enough?" he asked her for probably the third time.

She nodded, her cheeks already pinking up in the cold air. "This stuff is warmer than it looks. These jeans aren't much, but the leggings I have on underneath are double insulated and water resistant. I think I'm wearing two pairs of socks and these boots are pretty sturdy. I'm good to go!"

She looked amazing. Her hair was down, as it had been since he'd picked her up the day before. A knitted cap covered her head with golden locks spilling out the bottom. She had a scarf tucked around her neck and wore a shape-fitting jacked that somehow seemed to emphasize her petite figure rather than adding bulk. She wore adorable looking mittens with kittens on the backs of the hands, a concession towards her own personal style, he thought. He was glad to see it; he'd always been charmed by her affinity for whimsical things.

"Great, then I know just where to start."

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her after him down the slope in the back of the house towards the pond that was frozen over. He half expected her to cry out in dismay at trudging through the deep snow, but she just laughed delightedly from behind him.

"This is unreal," she said. "This whole place looks like a postcard!"

Oliver grinned. He'd always thought so too. "We're pretty lucky to be up here, I suppose."

"Completely. This definitely beats a tv dinner back in my townhouse."

Oliver thought about the last time he'd tried to bring Laurel up here. She'd liked the house plenty but hadn't wanted to adventure outdoors, insisting that they should stay in and "find other ways to entertain each other". Truthfully, he hadn't minded too much at the time. But now, watching Felicity grinning at the wintery snowscape around her, he enjoyed the difference.

As they approached the shack that stood at the edge of the pond, he turned to face her, walking backward. "Are you ready for this?" he asked.

One of her eyebrows went up. "What are we doing?"

"We… are going to play some hockey."

Her mouth fell open into a round little "o" and then she threw her head back and laughed, the sound echoing off the trees around them. "Hockey?" she cried. "I've never played!"

"Are you scared to play me?" he taunted, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"Pfft. Never." She straightened and threw him a challenging look. "Show me your game, Queen."

Exhilaration thrilled through him. Oliver opened up the shed and grabbed out some hockey gear, skates, elbow and knee pads, sticks, a puck and a few collapsible goals that they both set up at opposite ends of the pond.

He talked her through the basic rules of the game and she nodded, her tongue poking out between her lips as she adjusted the gloves she'd just pulled on.

"Don't we need helmets?" she asked.

"Are you planning to whack me in the head with your stick?"

"No! But… things happen! I saw a movie once where a guy needed all these stitches in his nose and…" Felicity trailed off and looked a little sheepish.

"Tell you what. You don't aim at my nose and I won't aim at yours. Deal?"

She gave him a dry look. "Fine. Deal."

They faced off on the ice and, predictably, Oliver got the puck away from her. What followed was possibly the most uncoordinated, chaotic game of hockey he'd ever played before in his life. But Oliver realized he was having more fun playing this game against a laughing, shrieking Felicity than he ever had with the junior league in high school. Her delight was infectious, and pretty soon he was laughing just as much as she was.

It occurred to him that Laurel never would have wanted to do this with him, no matter how much he begged. He'd asked a few times when they'd been much younger, and she'd always begged off, leaving him to go play with Tommy instead. Come to think of it, Laurel never wanted to do anything remotely outdoorsy. He'd learned to accept it, of course, that was just who she was and there wasn't anything wrong with that. But he loved the outdoors so much that he sometimes had a hard time understanding why someone wouldn't want to go adventuring a little bit.

He'd accepted that Laurel wasn't that sort of girl, but now with Felicity, Oliver realized that he'd been denying himself something that he really enjoyed. Maybe he didn't have to deny it any longer.

Despite her inexperience, Felicity caught on pretty well and perhaps it was that he was so distracted by all the laughing and joking around, but she got a few shots in on him. She just about to make another one that would tie the game and he lunged at her instinctually, trying to block her shot. His stick caught the edge of her skate and she went toppling to the ice with a sharp cry of pain.

"Felicity?" Instantly, Oliver felt terrible. He hurried over to her side, dropping to his knees, the cold of the ice reaching through the fabric of his insulated jeans. "Are you hurt? I'm so sorry!"

She was struggling to sit up, her gloved palms slipping on the ice so he helped her with an arm around her back. "I'm fine," she said. "My shin hurts though… "

"Here, sit still and let me have a look," he instructed her. Sitting back, he gently rolled up the jeans and legging on the leg she'd indicated. There was a gash on her shin, probably from the edge of her skate when she fell. He felt around the edges and froze when she hissed in a breath. "There's a first aid kit in the shed."

Felicity nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. "My hero," she said with an exaggerated flutter of the lashes. He grinned back and got to his feet.

As he skated to the edge of the ice, he knew she was trying to make him feel better by downplaying the injury. While he knew the cut wasn't bad, it had to hurt, but she was trying to put him at ease. Shaking his head, he found the kit and turned around to head back to her side. She really was remarkable.

Oliver busied himself with cleaning the cut with an antiseptic wipe and then bandaged up the cut with a couple of small adhesive bandages. She watched him work calmly. When he finished, she grinned at him.

"Excellent work, doctor."

He got to his feet and held out a hand to help her up. She took it and got to her feet, albeit a little shakily.

"Maybe its time to call it a day on the ice," he suggested as they both stepped off the pond and into the snow.

"Maybe. It's a shame though, I'm pretty sure I could have beaten you."

"Yeah, you wish!" He grabbed her, fingers tickling at her side and she squealed delightfully. Encouraged by her reaction, Oliver redoubled his efforts and Felicity tried to escape his grasp. In the next moment, they'd both fallen to the snow, gasping with laughter. He hovered over her, still tickling at her ribs while she breathlessly begged for mercy.

Then, they both stilled, each becoming aware of their more intimate position. Her hat had slipped off and her hair was spread across the snow. Her cheeks were bright pink, nearly matching the brightness of her lips. Her eyes twinkled and her chest was rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. God help him, she was gorgeous. Why hadn't he really ever noticed before?

Oliver didn't even realize he was leaning down to kiss her until she cleared her throat and turned her face. Biting his lip, he pulled away and then scooted back from her. "Sorry. Here, let me help you up again. Didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked.

She shook her head and he was glad to see she was still smiling. "No, I'm a tough nut."

They removed their skates and gear and stowed them back in the shack. The moment was lost but Oliver knew he'd be recounting that near kiss in his mind for the rest of the day.

Neither of them wanted to go back to the house after their hockey adventure so Oliver decided to heed his mother's advice and show her some of his favorite spots in the surrounding woods.

"Do you feel up for a little bit of a nature walk?" he asked her, worrying about her banged up shin.

"Sure," Felicity said. "Show me the sights, I'm dying to see where Young Oliver sowed his oats."

He snorted. "It's more like 'that spot where Young Oliver broke his arm' and 'that spot where Young Oliver sprained his ankle' and 'that spot where Young Oliver's mother caught him skinny dipping in the creek when he was ten years old'."

"This looks like a great place to be, growing up. I know you only came up for vacations, but there's just so much room to explore and grow your imagination." Oliver lead her towards the overgrown path he knew would lead to where he wanted to show her. Their feet made crunching noises in the snow as they made their way through the trees.

"Sometimes, in the summer, we'd spend weeks and weeks up here. My dad would be working and he'd drive up on the weekends to be with us. But I was pretty much allowed to run wild; Thea too once she got old enough. I miss those days."

"I don't blame you. I never had anywhere like this to play when I was a kid."

"Tell me about it?" Oliver held his breath. He found he desperately wanted to know more about her past, what lead her to being the woman she was today.

Felicity sighed a little and he saw her hands clench in her mittens. He reached out to take one of her hands in his and she smiled up at him. "There's not much to tell. I grew up in Las Vegas, in a cramped apartment a stones throw from the Strip. Not much wilderness to enjoy."

"What did you do on vacations?"

"Stayed in the apartment, mostly, while my mom worked. Sometimes she let me come down to the casino with her and I'd spend birthday money in the arcade or read books in the employee break room."

"Sounds kind of lonely," he remarked.

She shrugged a shoulder and swung the hand that was he was holding. "It wasn't so bad, I guess. Plenty of free food at the buffet, at least."

"There is that."

"But I think that's why I like all of _this_ so much. It's gorgeous out here! So open and wild and… _free_."

Oliver looked around as they kept walking, trying to see it all through her eyes. The way the weakened sunlight tried to shine through the clouds filtered through the pine trees, the way the snow drifted up against the underbrush, the fresh, clean scent of the air and the still quiet that surrounded them on all sides. It _was_ rather amazing, he supposed.

"I never really thought of it like that before," he said and she squeezed his hand.

"You should never overlook the little moments in life, they're what make up the magic," she told him.

When was the last time he'd stopped to appreciate the little moments, he wondered.

A small clearing opened up and his smile grew as he tugged her forward. He hadn't been here in _years_.

"What is this?" she asked, the smile in her voice evident.

"This is where I built my fort." To the side of the clearing, was a collection of scrap wood, rocks and other sundry items. As they neared it, he could see that the fort was mostly still standing. He'd used the stones, small enough he could maneuver them, to form the base of the fort and then the scrap wood to build up the walls the rest of the way and for the roof. A scrap of fabric, now long faded from the elements and torn and ragged from wear, hung over the doorway. Bits and bobs decorated the outside. Felicity let go of his hand and stepped forward, an enchanted look on her face.

"You built this? As a kid, by yourself?" She sounded awed.

"Well, Tommy helped. But, yeah."

"It's amazing!"

"Wanna see the inside?"

"Of course I do! Lead the way."

He pulled aside the fabric over the doorway and she ducked inside ahead of him. It was dark inside and he fished out the compact LED light he'd thought to tuck into his pocket and turned it on. He set it on a surface and the inside of the fort lit up enough to see around.

The floor was made up of a combination of old wood boards and scraps of old carpeting. A few shoddily constructed seats and tables made up the bulk of the furnishings. Old magazine pictures were tacked to the walls, showing the sorts of things young boys were interested in; cars, video games, action movies and even a few pictures of scantily clad women. Felicity chuckled when she saw those.

"Didn't bring many women here, did you?" she remarked, taking a seat on a low stone bench.

Oliver sat next to her. "You're the first."

Her eyes flashed to his. "Seriously? Not even Laurel?"

"Laurel wouldn't be caught dead out here, are you kidding me?"

She looked indignant and something about that made him want to kiss her. "It's her loss. I can just imagine you spending hours here, pretending to be a knight guarding his castle—"

"Actually, it was more often a pirate manning his ship, plundering the seven seas," he corrected her with a wink.

"Even better. But what I'm saying is this is a part of your history. I— I'm honored that you wanted to share it with me."

"Of course I did."

"But I'm just… me."

He knew what she was saying and he didn't like it. "Yeah, and _you_ are special, Felicity. I'm glad you wanted to see this."

Her smile was warm and it lit something inside of him. Again, he was nearly overwhelmed with the desire to kiss her. But he remembered the way she'd pulled away earlier and checked himself. They were friends and clearly she wanted to keep it that way. He didn't want to risk that closeness with her and ruin their friendship, not even for something he was just finding out he really wanted.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Thank you everyone for being so patient yesterday. I'm sorry I didn't post a new chapter but I'd actually planned for it; I knew that the day after the midseason finale was going to be too fraught with angst for me to feel up to posting anything and I was right. I'm still not okay, if we're being honest. But I can deal now. And so here is more fluff for you to enjoy! It's also a bit of a birthday gift to myself (lets not talk about how many candles are on the cake this year), to bring me out of the post-midseason finale funk! Enjoy, you guys. Thanks for all the support!**

They ended up spending most of the afternoon in the little fort. Oliver told her about some of the more interesting adventures that had taken place there, including the time he and Tommy had decided to sleep out in the fort and had gotten scared in the middle of the night and tried to walk back to the house but the batteries in their flashlights ran out halfway there and they'd both been so scared and screaming so loud that his dad had come down in his robe and yelled at them for waking everyone up.

Felicity had really enjoyed hearing that one.

By the time they made it back to the house, they were both chilled to the bone. Thea, Roy and Tommy were just coming in from a ride around a nearby meadow on the snowmobiles the Queens kept in the garage.

"I think I have bruises on top of bruises," Roy complained, rubbing his shoulder.

"I think I can't even feel my toes anymore," Felicity supplied.

Everyone agreed that they were either frozen or sore. Or both.

"How about we give the hot tub a spin?" Thea suggested.

"Now you're speaking my language," Tommy said.

"What do you say, Felicity? Want to soak the feeling back into those piggies of yours?" Thea asked.

She smiled but darted a questioning look at Oliver. He nodded, thinking that a long, hot soak might be just the thing to finish off what had been a pretty perfect afternoon.

"Sure, let me just go get my suit on."

They agreed to meet back at the indoor spa as soon as they got changed out of their cold, wet winter gear. As they walked into their room, Felicity said, "I didn't know you guys had an indoor spa. Though I don't know why I'm surprised. You guys have everything else here that a person could possibly want." In they room, she flopped into the chair while he stepped into the clost.

"Wait'll you see it," Oliver called out, going through his things in search of his swim trunks he'd packed.

Felicity groaned as she walked into the closet to fetch her suit. "I'm just going to change in the bathroom. I'll meet you down there!" she called out.

"You don't know where it is."

A pause. "Good point. Send Thea to guide me then."

Oliver chuckled. "Will do."

He changed quickly and then hung up his wet clothes on the back of the chair next to the balcony to dry. Out in the hall, he ran into Roy and Tommy who were also suited and headed down. He grabbed Roy before he could walk off. "Can you tell Thea to show Felicity where the spa is?"

"Sure thing," Roy said with a mock salute and Oliver watched amusedly as he ducked back into the room he was sharing with Thea to relay the message.

The spa room was located on the first floor right next to where his mother had the addition built. A wall of windows faced out onto the forest on one side of the room. The floor was polished beechwood, and the exposed rafters were a darker wood, offering a nice visual contrast. There was a sauna and a few massage tables but what really caught the eye was the hot tub itself. An enormous stone fireplace dominated the wall next to the windows. In front of the fireplace was the large built-in hot tub, asymmetrical in shape and large enough to seat at least ten people.

Oliver immediately went to the fireplace to get the gas log turned on while Tommy hunted up a pile of plush towels from the cabinet next to the sauna. Roy started fiddling with the hot tub controls and was trying to find the jets when Oliver finished with the fireplace and showed him where that switch was.

"Should we wait for the girls?" Tommy asked.

They all looked at one another and said, "Nah!" at the same time. Laughing, they got into the water and Oliver groaned at how good the heated water felt.

"Shit, this feels good," Roy muttered as he submerged up to his neck. Tommy just grinned.

"Are you boys ready to get this party started?" a playful voice called out from the doorway. Oliver and the others looked over to see Thea and Felicity standing there, each of them bearing a six pack of craft beer. They were wearing coverups but Oliver couldn't help but notice how long and smooth Felicity's legs looked, with the coverup hitting her at the top of her thighs. With effort, he tore his eyes from her and instead focused on the beer that they bore before them as they approached the hot tub.

Felicity was gaping at the spa area, the fireplace and the hot tub itself. "This is amazing! What a gorgeous room!" she gushed.

"Are you gonna stare at it or are you gonna hop in with us?" Tommy asked.

Oliver tried not to look. He really did. He kept his eyes at her feet but when she began to undo the buttons on her coverup, his eyes traveled up of their own accord. The gauzy wrap was little more than oversized shirt and as she peeled it from her shoulders, her figure was revealed to him. His mouth went dry rather suddenly as his eyes feasted on the bikini she was wearing. Objectively speaking, he'd seen smaller bikinis, sexier bikinis. Many of them, in fact. But seeing _this_ bikini on _this_ woman felt different somehow.

There wasn't much that was very fancy about the suit, actually. It was a standard black, with flirty little ties at her hips and ties around her neck and back for the top. Felicity was a trim, petite woman and her curves were gentle, but he found them just as mouthwatering as the ones on some busty model. Maybe even more so.

And _what on earth_ was he thinking? This was _Felicity_. Oliver jerked his eyes away, accepting the bottle of beer that Thea held out to him, ignoring the way she was smirking at him, and he opened it with his hands, tossing the cap away from the tub. He took a long drink and sunk down deeper into the tub. Mentally, he forced himself to think of any thing besides Felicity, who was both nearly naked and also slipping into the hot tub right next to him.

"Oh god, this feels fantastic," she groaned.

Oliver felt his dick stir at the lusty quality to her voice and grit his teeth against the wave of arousal.

"Doesn't it?" Thea agreed as she cuddled next to Roy's side, taking a drink from her own beer.

"I didn't realize I was so sore!" Felicity remarked. She accepted the beer that Thea handed her and took a long drink.

"What did Oliver do to you today to make you that way?" Tommy asked, wiggling his eyebrows. She nearly choked on her beer and glared at him, splashing water in his direction. Oliver glared at his friend before glancing at Felicity… and realizing that he could see almost perfectly down her bikini top. _Shit_. Again, he dragged his eyes away to find his sister grinning at him knowingly. Tommy nudged him in the ribs with his elbow. He was getting it from all sides tonight.

"Better question is does he actually get any work done at QC? Here all I thought all those long hours were because he was a workaholic but now I'm thinking there was another appeal for him there," Thea remarked.

"Guys," Oliver said warningly. "Not cool." He glanced at Felicity and nearly cringed at the embarrassed flush he saw on her face. She took another long drink of her beer and he mirrored her.

"I can promise, at QC Oliver is very professional," Felicity informed the group. "I mean, yeah, sure he comes to visit me a lot and I do love it when he does because I really enjoy seeing him. Not because we're doing anything naughty, of course, just that it breaks up my day and he makes me smile. But what I'm really trying to say is that he is always professional around me and he wouldn't ever do anything inappropriate—"

Oliver stilled her with a hand on her knee under the water. She froze nearly instantly, her eyes wide and her teeth biting down on her lower lip. Tommy was chuckling, clearly amused by this. Oliver was so glad his friend was so entertained by this entire debacle.

"Yes, you're right. I've never known Oliver do anything unprofessional," he quipped and Oliver snapped his eyes up at his friend.

"Tommy," he said warningly.

"I'm just saying," Tommy replied with a shrug. "I just hope you don't look at her cleavage quite so much while you're at work as you are now."

Thea and Roy laughed but his sister quieted when she saw Felicity's expression. She reached across and tapped Tommy on the arm. "Okay, that's enough, tiger. Pick on Oliver, if you must, but leave Felicity out of it."

"Thank you," Felicity mumbled, taking another drink.

Things smoothed out from there. The beer flowed freely and everyone relaxed into the frothing water. Some of the teasing continued to be directed at Oliver, but he wasn't the only one. Tommy got his fair share of ribbing, as did Thea and Roy. Felicity settled quite a bit, laughing and drinking and relaxing into Oliver's side. His arm went around her shoulders in a move that felt far more natural than it probably should have. He cupped her far shoulder with his hand and enjoyed how that felt. She fit so nicely against him.

"Tell me," Thea said, leaning forward. "How did you guys meet? Not trying to be rude, but I get the feeling you two wouldn't run in similar social circles, is all."

"It was at work," Felicity replied. She smiled, her expression softening as she recalled. "Oliver needed help with his laptop and Walter gave him my name. Because, let's be honest, I'm the best at QC." She winked. "Anyhow, I was working away in my tiny cubicle and here comes Oliver. I think I was doing something ridiculous like chewing on a pen when he introduced himself."

"The pen was red," Oliver supplied and everyone's attention turned to him, including Felicity's. Her eyes searched his as a small smile blossomed across her lips and he could tell he'd surprised her. Of course he remembered that. The moment was burned into his memory. Felicity was the first person in a long time who hadn't either expected him to be something he wasn't or wanted him to be able to do or give her something. There'd just been something about her. He was sure that's why their friendship had come so easily.

"That is so romantic!" Thea exclaimed, snapping Oliver out of his remembrance. Romantic? He'd never thought about it like that. But, considering the ruse, he was glad his sister thought so. It certainly made what they were trying to accomplish that much easier.

"I don't know about you lovebirds, but I'm turning into a prune. I think I'll get out and go get ready for dinner," Tommy announced after a few minutes. Roy and Thea agreed and they got out as well. Felicity made no move so neither did he. They remained in the tub while the others wrapped in towels and left the room.

They were alone.

"I'm sorry for Tommy's teasing," he said, after a long moment's silence.

"That's all right. He didn't mean any harm. That's what friends do, right?"

"He's always been good about needling me, that's for sure."

"And vice versa, I imagine." She studied her fingertips, probably looking for pruning. "He cares about you. Thea, too. You always tease the ones you love."

Oliver smiled at that. "Yes, I think that's true. You say that like you have experience with it."

"Not really. I'm not saying my mom doesn't love me because she does. She might love me too much, actually. But she was busy and we were so different… not really the sort of environment for teasing, I guess."

"I can tease you, if you'd like," he offered. As soon as he said it, he realized the implication of it. Felicity's cheeks colored a bit but she smiled, telling him she didn't mind so much.

But then, her forehead creased a little and she looked away. "You should be careful with that," she told him.

"What do you mean?"

"Saying things like that. You might sabotage your plans, make me think you mean something that you don't."

His breath stuttered in his chest. Perhaps it was because he'd been trying to so hard to avoid even thinking of the reality of his situation with Felicity here, but hearing her speak it aloud and give it credence struck him hard. And he didn't know how he felt about that.

"I'm sorry—" he started to say but she just held up a hand, halting him.

"Don't worry about it." Her tone was clipped and she moved away from him, towards the steps out of the hot tub. "I'm going to go get ready for dinner."

Helplessly, he watched her cross to the towels and wrap one around herself, hiding her frustratingly enticing body from his view. She didn't even stop to dry herself off before padding out of the room and leaving him there by himself. Alone with his thoughts.

_Christ, Oliver_, he chastised himself. _Do you even know what you want anymore?_

Felicity got in the shower as soon as she reached the room, her thoughts swirling. She probably shouldn't have said what she did to Oliver, but how much could a girl be expected to take?

She was falling for him. She'd known that before he'd even asked her to take part in this charade. Foolishly, she thought it wouldn't be an issue. While they'd be posing as a couple for his family, she thought the quiet moments between them would be strictly platonic. She'd thought she could keep the lines drawn better than this.

Now, in the last day, she'd overheard a phone call to his ex and had felt a bitter sting from it as a result, she'd woken up in his arms, she'd spent a wonderfully intimate day in the snow and on the ice with him and now he'd said what he had to her in the hot tub…

It was an offhand comment, and certainly meant in a platonic fashion. Friends teased each other, hadn't she just gotten done telling him that? But something in the way he'd looked at her when he'd offered to tease her, well, it had felt like _more_. What's worse, she'd _wanted_ it to be more.

That's why she'd had to get out of the hot tub and take refuge, at least until she could get herself back under control. Oliver probably thought she was nuts, reacting the way she did. Shame washed over her. She'd really thought she could control her stupid crush. Had she ever been a bigger idiot?

When she stepped out of the shower, she put on the dress she'd selected for dinner. It was the red "boob dress" that she'd tried on for Oliver, that he'd been so in favor of her getting. She'd thought about saving it for Christmas dinner but decided what the heck. Hoping that Oliver had been right and that this wasn't too formal or racy for a family dinner, she zipped herself up and set to fixing her hair.

While she used the blow drier, she thought again about how today was the last day of Hanukkah. She hadn't had any family to celebrate it with in years; it was usually just her in her apartment, lighting the last candle and performing the little traditions and rituals that she remembered her father teaching her as a child.

She left most of her hair down but pinned the top section of her hair back and curled the ends with an iron. Her makeup, she kept light and natural but couldn't resist going with red for her lips. The silver strappy sandals came last and catching sight of herself in the full length mirror, she had to admit sh looked good. Time to face the music.

Oliver wasn't in the room, but she saw signs that he'd been there and gotten dressed. She wouldn't blame him if he was hiding from her after that ridiculous scene. When she found him, she'd have to apologize.

Everyone was downstairs in the dining room when she came down the stairs. Thea and Roy were in each others arms, trading little kisses and Felicity smiled when she saw the younger woman's dress. So Oliver hadn't been exaggerating. The younger Queen was wearing a revealing but still tasteful black dress that made her look like a million bucks. Roy didn't look half bad in his suit either, come to think of it.

Then, she saw Oliver. He was talking to his mother and looked up as soon as she entered. His dark grey suit was tailored perfectly for him, hanging perfectly off his frame and drawing her eye to his narrow waist and broad shoulders. She might have felt bad for ogling at him but then she saw the way his eyes traveled over her, lingering on her sandals, her legs, the cutout in the bodice of her dress… Felicity knew then that she'd made the right choice on which dress to wear tonight.

Moira and Walter entered, bearing platters of food, followed by Tommy who was carrying several bottles of wine.

"Everyone have a seat!' Moira called out, smiling as she set a platter on the table. "Dig in!"

Felicity surveyed the spread and her eyes landed on a plate of fried fish. She looked to Oliver, a question on her lips. He leaned towards her, his lips near her ear, "It's fried cod. I couldn't figure a way to talk my mother into fried potato pancakes, but…"

He drew back and shrugged, smiling at her. She knew her mouth was hanging open in shock. How… how could he _know_ that fried food was a big part of celebrating Hanukkah? Had he looked it up? What did that even mean if he had? The idea that her traditions would be important enough to him that he would look that up and try to give her a little taste of Hanukkah in the middle of his own Christmas celebration made her feel lightheaded and giddy.

"Thank you," she whispered back and he nodded before pulling her chair out for her.

Felicity sat, still feeling stunned. It was just such a sweet, thoughtful thing to do and while certainly the sort of thing a friend would do for another friend, there was something about the way he was looking at her that told her that maybe, _maybe_, there was more to it than that. Oh god, she hated to hope but her heart was already leaping at the possibility.

Oliver reached for her hand underneath the table and squeezed it. There was a question in his eye and she nodded to show him that she appreciated the effort and that she wasn't upset with him despite her stupid outburst in the hot tub. She really would have to make an effort to talk to him about that later.

For the most part, dinner went smoothly and the food was all very delicious. Felicity was again struck by how easy going the family atmosphere was, given how wealthy the Queens were. When they were relaxed and happy, they got along just as she imagined any family would. Whatever preconceptions she had about them as a family were getting washed away as she saw in person how much warmth and laugher and genuine caring there was between them all, even when they were on each other's case. This included Tommy, who fit so well into the family that it was as though he'd always been there. Maybe he had; Oliver said that they'd been friends since they were kids, after all.

All that wasn't to say that it was all smooth sailing, however. Family did have a way of bringing up sore subjects at the best _and _worst of times.

"I do wish you'd reconsider about going back to SCU, taking a few classes. You're halfway to your degree already and it seems like such a waste—" Moira was saying to Thea.

"But I don't _want_ to do that, Mom!" she interrupted. "I'm happy running the club and I'm _good_ at it."

"Which means you have a real head for business," Walter pointed out.

"Yes, and if you got a business degree, there's no telling where it could take you," Moira added.

"I don't want to go anywhere, though! I'm happy at Verdant!"

Felicity felt bad for the young woman. She could see the way Thea's lower lip trembled a bit as she got upset. Felicity's own mother had also questioned her goals and ambitions so she knew what it felt like to be on the receiving end of this sort of argument. She caught Thea's eyes from across the table and send her a sympathetic smile which she returned gratefully before returning her attention to her mother and Walter.

"I think Thea is doing great right where she is," Oliver chimed in.

"Thanks, Ollie."

"Oliver isn't exactly a great example of someone who has made the best decisions about his life," Moira said, her tone chastising.

Felicity saw him grit his teeth and his hand tensed on her knee under the table. She placed her hand over his, to offer him her support.

"I'm doing just fine with QC now, Mother."

"Yes, _now_. But you never wanted to fill that role and it took your father getting killed and that will of his for you to finally accept your responsibilities."

Both the Queen children were gaping at their mother and Tommy looked shocked too. Felicity couldn't believe she would bring up Robert Queen's death in so casual and callous a manner. And what did his will have to do with anything?

"Maybe now isn't the best time to talk about this," Walter suggested.

"Perhaps not." Moira wiped at her mouth with her napkin and an uneasy silence fell over the table.

Walter cleared his throat. "Felicity, I've been meaning to tell you, that everything I've heard coming out of the IT department lately has been about you and about how you are essentially running the entire department yourself."

She flushed with pleasure at the acknowledgement. "I just do my part," she said. "I love computers and I love being challenged."

"Indeed. And I wonder just how challenged you are down there with all the servers."

"Sir?"

"I'm sure you've heard that I'm heading up the expansion of the Applied Sciences division and am looking for staff to fill all the positions," he told her.

She felt her heart stutter in her chest and she could barely breath. This was exactly what she'd been hoping for! Oliver was suddenly grabbing for her hand and she darted a look at his face, seeing an encouraging smile there. She cleared her throat.

"I have heard that, sir."

"Please, call me Walter. Anyhow, I've been wondering since you've been up here if maybe you wouldn't be just the right fight for one of the lead technician positions I have available. Or if maybe that's setting my sights too low and I should put you in an executive level position."

Felicity was sure her jaw was brushing against the linen tablecloth. "Wow, sir, uh I mean, Walter… I— I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll take the interview, dear," Moira suggested with a wink. It was the warmest she'd addressed Felicity yet.

"Y—yes! Yes, I would love to take the interview. Just say when and where," Felicity replied and her heart was pounding so loudly she was sure everyone at the table to could hear it.

"Excellent. I'll have my assistant set something up for after New Years."

The rest of the dinner was a haze for her. This was all her professional dreams coming true, all at once! It was almost too much to believe. Then there was the way Oliver smiled at her, rubbed a hand over her back and whispered, "Congratulations" in her ear, his voice low and raspy. Could it be possible that her personal dreams were coming true as well?


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I'm so glad that everyone is happy to have this story to help them recover from the midseason finale. That was rough, wasn't it? Thank you for all the birthday wishes too, I had a great day! I got Arrow s2 blurays and one of Stephen's Fuck Cancer sweatshirts! YAY! Anyhow, here's more. Caution: Fluff Intensifies**

When dinner was over, Felicity offered to clear the table and Oliver was quick to volunteer his own services. Thea and Roy took over at the sink, soaking the serving and baking dishes and rinsing the plates before stacking them in the dishwasher.

Tommy joined Walter and Moira in the living room, getting ready for the evening in front of the tree they would enjoy after the dishes were done. That involved raiding the wine rack and setting out various cookies and candies and other goodies to nibble on. When they finished, they joined the group in the kitchen to help with the cleanup.

As Felicity and Oliver went back and forth, carrying plates, they crossed paths and at one point, Thea let out a squeal.

"Stop, you two!" she cried.

Felicity froze where she was, headed back into the dining room and Oliver did the same, dirty wineglasses in hand. They both stared, wide-eyed at Thea. She was pointing, just over their heads and everyone's head whipped up to see what it was. Felicity was half expecting some enormous spider, deciding to spend the winter in the comfort of the Queen mountain retreat.

"Mistletoe!" Tommy crowed, his eyes lighting up with delight.

Indeed, there hung a sprig of mistletoe in all its white berried, green leafy glory. Dimly, she started to recall something she saw in a tv movie once, where people who were caught under the mistletoe together had to kiss. Felicity looked to the gathered crowd in the kitchen and noticed their eyes were all on her and Oliver. Everyone had a very expectant look. She swallowed nervously.

"Tommy made Thea and I do it this morning when he caught us," Roy said. "It's only fair that you guys have to do it too."

Oliver set the wine glasses down on the counter next to him and turned to her, his eyes apologetic. She'd wondered, back when he'd asked her to partake in this ruse, if she'd have to kiss at some point during the whole thing. And now here was the moment of truth and she felt so very much _not_ ready.

And yet, somehow insanely ready at the same time. Why did he have to be so _attractive_?

"It looks like the crowd has spoken," Oliver murmured, stepping up to her and taking her face in his hands.

"Far be it from me to argue with the crowd," she breathed, already focusing on his lips which looked so soft and yet firm and…

His fingers skated along her jaw and into her hair, curling around the back of her head. He tugged her forward and her eyes fell shut without any permission from her to do so. Oliver drew her closer and just before his lips touched hers, she heard him whisper, "Felicity…"

She was right. His lips were both soft and firm. Her breath hitched at the slight contact and he paused for a moment which felt like it was stretched out into an eternity. Then, deliberately, he returned with firmer pressure and one hand left her head to wind around her waist, bringing the rest of her body into contact with him.

The kiss remained chaste, though Felicity had no idea how. Dimly, in the back corner of her mind, she was aware that Oliver's whole family as well as his best friend were watching this "show" they were putting on. Still, it felt better for being chaste, somehow. He nibbled a bit at her lower lip and she gasped a little into his mouth as he changed the angle of his mouth against hers.

Felicity felt as though she was swimming outside of herself, caught in this one perfect moment and if she could just stay here where this kiss existed, then everything would be just fine.

But, as all moments do, it passed and Oliver slowly pulled back, his breath puffing against her lips and she realized she was running out of breath as well. They remained like that for a long moment, breathing each other's air and she opened her eyes slowly to see him gazing into hers. She expected a smug look, or maybe even another apologetic one. She certainly was not expecting the borderline shattered expression that she saw in his eyes. He looked as caught off guard by the magic of that kiss as she was.

"Woah, nice work there, big brother!" Thea called out. They moved further away from each other, though Oliver kept his arm around her waist as he looked to their audience. There was a smattering of applause from Thea, Roy and Tommy, the latter whom was grinning at them both so widely that Felicity was surprised his face didn't crack in two.

"Okay, that's enough of that," Moira said primly. "You've had your fun, now let's take this into the living room, shall we?"

Everyone filed out of the kitchen, leaving Oliver and Felicity alone. Her eyes slid to his and he looked as though he badly wanted to say something to her but didn't know quite where to start. She knew the feeling.

"Not bad," she finally said in a low voice. "I believe they're engraving your name on an Oscar as we speak."

Oliver flushed and looked down and away. "I'm sorry that we had to do that… in front of them."

Felicity shrugged, hoping to show him that it was no big deal. There was no way he could tell that her heart was pounding, could he? "Comes with the territory. Now lets go join them before they eat all the good fudge."

Oliver paused, looking at her closely before taking her offered hand and together they walked into the living room to join the others.

Oliver sat next to Felicity on one of the sofas, half-listening as Walter told him about how he used to celebrate Christmas growing up in England. His mind was drifting. It wasn't that the story wasn't interesting, it was that the only thing he could think about was that kiss with Felicity.

He hadn't been caught off guard by mistletoe in _years_. Usually, he was the one trapping people underneath it and tormenting them. He glanced at Tommy, who was paying attention Walter's story, and recalled all the times he'd pulled the mistletoe on his best friend and some poor girl over the years. This was probably Tommy's idea of payback. Oliver might have seriously believed that if it hadn't been Thea and the rest of them also crowing for a mistletoe kiss.

All of that was unimportant anyhow in light of how kissing Felicity had taken his already confused emotions and knotted them up entirely. When he'd first gotten the idea to ask Felicity to come up here with him, he'd hoped for nothing more than a tolerable couple of days with no lasting consequences. Instead, Felicity had turned his dread for the family holiday into something… else. He was having _fun_, the last thing he'd ever expected. And Felicity… Well, somewhere along the way his feelings had stopped being truly platonic, but he wasn't sure when that had happened. Was it this morning, when he'd woken up with her in his arms? Was it during their hockey game or when she'd expressed wonder at his childhood fort? The hot tub was something else, also non-platonic but much more physical and heated.

In the hot tub, he'd found himself flirting with her and liking it. He'd enjoyed her flirting back. Until suddenly she'd pulled back and away from him. He still wasn't sure why she'd done that. Perhaps they needed to have a talk. Oliver was still confused but he knew one thing; he cared a hell of a lot more than he'd thought he did and she deserved to know that. Where it would go from here, he didn't know. There was the whole issue of the will, which he was studiously avoiding thinking about, and his prior intentions to get back together with Laurel.

Oliver just wasn't at all sure that's what he wanted anymore.

A small voice inside of him wondered if Felicity could be the answer to his issue with his father's will in addition to a whole host of other questions. Oliver pushed that thought away as quickly as it had come. He was leaping ahead of himself here and there was no way he wanted to put that sort of pressure on Felicity. He felt bad enough already about dragging her up here.

Because perhaps she didn't think about him that way at all. Just because she'd always been there for him when he had a question, she smiled and laughed with him and they got along so well didn't mean that she was at all interested in any kind of romantic relationship with him. As open as Felicity was, he noticed that she tended to play her cards close to her chest when it came to her personal emotions. She was more than willing to shower others with affection but how much did she take for herself?

These thoughts all swirled in his head, pulling his attention away from the rest of the group. It was only when Felicity nudged his knee with hers and he looked up to see everyone looking at him expectantly that he realized someone had asked him a question.

"I'm sorry, what was it?"

"When did you become such a space case, big bro?" Thea asked wryly.

"I asked if you had something you wanted to share," Moira pointed out gently. "You'd mentioned to me earlier that you had a gift for Felicity that you wanted to give her this evening rather than wait for the morning."

Oliver sat up, remembering. He'd picked out a gift specifically to give to Felicity on Christmas Eve since he knew it was the last night of Hanukkah. She was sacrificing getting to celebrate in her own way by doing this favor for him and he thought it was only fair. Of course now he wished he had something a little more meaningful to give her.

"That's right, I do. Hold tight a second," he said, getting to his feet. Felicity shot him a curious look and he smiled back before darting from the room. The package he'd wrapped was stowed in the front hall closet so he didn't have to go very far to retrieve it. When he returned to the living room, he saw Tommy give him a look. He didn't look upset, exactly, but Oliver was sure his actions were confusing to his best friend. Maybe he'd have to have a talk with him as well as Felicity.

"It's just a little thing and I didn't want to leave it for Christmas morning," he explained as he sat back down next to Felicity. Moira looked curious, so he continued, "Her family always exchanged some gifts on Christmas Eve when she was growing up."

Everyone accepted that excuse easily and he turned his attention towards Felicity, extending the wrapped gift towards her. She accepted it with a slight uptick of her lips. "I wasn't expecting you to do this, you know," she told him, her cheeks coloring a little.

Oliver shrugged. "I wanted to." Which was true enough.

She tore at the wrapping and found the box beneath. Her breath left her in a gasp and Oliver couldn't fight his grin. While not exactly personal, he knew this was something she would appreciate. Felicity pulled the rest of the wrapping off the box before turning shocked eyes on him.

"Where did you get this? It's not supposed to be in stores until after the holidays!" She held up the box, which contained the latest version of the most popular tablet computer on the market so that the rest of his family could see what it was.

Oliver shrugged. "I have connections," he replied cryptically. Truth was, as soon as Felicity had accepted his request for the biggest favor ever, he'd called up a contact he had at the company and asked if he could get an advance copy for a special gift. He'd offered a reconsideration of a business merger that their CEO had been angling for in return. Seeing the look on her face as she turned the box over in her hands made it all worth it.

"This is— This is amazing, Oliver. It's too much!" she cried. Her smile faded as she looked at him. "I can't accept it."

"You can and you will. I wanted you to have this," he told her earnestly.

Felicity paused, looking between him and the tablet, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Don't be ridiculous, Felicity! Take him up on it! The best I usually get out of him is a new mp3 player. That had to be at least twice as expensive," Tommy chided.

Oliver threw a sofa pillow at him.

"Thank you," she said quietly. She reached out and he met her halfway, taking her hand in his. She squeezed her fingers around his and she could see her eyes shining. That told him that she understood why he was giving it to her now and that she appreciated it. Really, that's all he wanted.

They continued to play games, eat snacks and tell stories for several hours. By the time everyone started to wander off for bed, it was nearly midnight.

"Better get to sleep before Santa comes," Oliver warned Thea as she tugged Roy from the sofa. She gave him a dry look.

"That hasn't worked since I was ten, Oliver."

"Do you really want to risk it, though?" Tommy asked. He clapped Oliver on the back. "I'm headed to bed."

"Hey. Do you have a minute? I wanted to talk real quick."

Tommy's dark eyebrows drew together but he nodded. "Sure. You know where my room is."

"Great. I'll be there in a minute."

He helped Felicity to her feet and tried not to leer too much as she stretched luxuriously, the cutout in her dress stretching over her breasts and revealing yet more cleavage. She started towards the stairs and he moved to follow her but was stopped by his mother's hand on his arm.

"Oliver, can I have a moment?" she asked.

Felicity glanced back at him. "You go on ahead. I'll be along shortly, after I talk to Tommy," he told her. She nodded and wished his mother goodnight before ascending the stairs alone.

He yearned to follow her, to talk to her, to just… be there with her. He quelled his urges and turned to face his mother. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing terrible," she replied caustically. "I don't know why you always automatically assume the worst when I want to speak with you."

"Because so often it is."

His mother sighed heavily. "I just want the best for you, Oliver. And I will admit, when you told me who you would be bringing here with you, I wasn't sure. Walter knew who she was but other than that, no one had ever heard of her before. I thought maybe she was just some social climber, after you for your money."

"Mother—" he started, ready to argue. She held up a perfectly manicured hand.

"Let me finish. I was skeptical when you two first arrived. Then, I met her. She's nothing like I'd expected and I think it was the same for you. Am I right?"

Oliver felt heat suffuse his cheeks. He nodded.

"I thought so. Oliver, I can see the way you look at her. I also see the way she looks at you too. I never thought I'd see the day, I figured you'd be chasing after Laurel Lance all your life. But now, I think you've finally found the right woman. And I wanted you to know that I'm just so happy for you."

Oliver's breath died in his throat and he didn't know what to say. There was no part of him that wanted to tell his mother that she was wrong, and not just because of this ridiculous ruse. It was because she was right. Dammit all to hell, she was _right_.

Moira reached into the pocket of her long cardigan and pulled out a small velvet box. "I brought this up here with me. I got it from the family vault and I'm not sure exactly what I thought I would do with it. I think I expected to further prod you towards the commitment you need to fulfill for the terms of your father's will. But now I think you need to have this because it's the right time."

Oliver took the box from her hand and opened it. Nestled in the velvet was a platinum ring, inset with tiny diamonds and larger shining emeralds and at the enter was a gorgeous 2 carat princess cut diamond. It took his breath away and in that moment, he couldn't picture that ring on any finger but Felicity's. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and slipped the box into his pocket.

"Thank you, Mother," he said, meaning it fully for perhaps the first time in his life. She embraced him in a warm hug and he held her tightly until she let him go.

Oliver walked to Tommy's room, reeling from the knowledge that his mother not only could see his feelings for Felicity (he had to wonder who else could see?), but that she approved of her as well. He never could have predicted that development in a million years, though he imagined that was selling both his mother and Felicity short. His mother was smarter and more perceptive than he'd ever given her credit for. And Felicity was so appealing that he thought it was probably impossible for anyone to not fall under her spell.

He rapped on Tommy's door and it was opened a moment later. Oliver stepped inside and Tommy shut the door behind him.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I just… wanted to talk to you."

"About Felicity." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah."

"What's going on, Oliver? Last week, you assured me that asking her was strictly a favor and you guys were just friends. But I've been watching you guys since I got here and I'm not seeing two people who are just friends. Shoot, that _kiss_ was not a kiss between friends."

Oliver paced the room, rubbing at the hair on the back of his neck. "I know, Tommy. I— I didn't exactly plan this…"

"Wait. Are you telling me that I'm _right_? There _is_ something between you guys?" Tommy's blue eyes were wide.

"There's no relationship, if that's what you're asking. But… I feel something for her, Tommy."

"Like what you feel for Laurel?"

Oliver didn't miss the tone of disapproval in his friend's voice. "What do you have against Laurel?"

Tommy looked surprised. "I don't— There's nothing against Laurel."

"You've never approved of me seeing her," Oliver pointed out. "Not since I first started back in high school."

"I just didn't think you two were suited," his friend said with a shrug. Oliver looked at him closely and if he didn't know better, he might think Tommy was _jealous_. But that was a crazy thought. If there was any bigger womanizer in Starling City than himself, it was Tommy Merlyn. Besides, wouldn't he _say_ something to him about it if he had feelings for her? Oliver pushed these thoughts aside.

"No, this is not like what I felt for Laurel," he clarified. "I guess that's why I wanted to talk to you. It's unlike… anything. And I don't know what to do about it."

Tommy nudged Oliver towards one of the arm chairs that sat under a bank of windows and sat in one himself. "So you're saying you have feelings for her? Romantic feelings?"

"I think so. I'm not sure. But… my mother pulled me aside to tell me how she could tell Felicity and I loved each other and how she approved and she even handed me an engagement ring from the family vault." He pulled the box from his pocket and passed it to his friend.

Tommy opened it with a whistle. "Wow. Oh, holy shit. That is some stone. Wait. _Moira_ gave this to you?"

Oliver nodded. "She seems to think Felicity has the same feelings for me that I do for her. If indeed I do have feelings. What do _you_ think?"

Tommy sat back and considered the ring for a long minute. "Jesus, Oliver," he said, expelling his breath in a whoosh. "Like I said, I've been watching you guys. And there is something there. Is it too soon to propose? Hell, yes. You've been friends for two years, but you're just starting to realize these feelings."

"But what does _she _feel?"

With a grunt of frustration, Tommy snapped the ring box shut and tossed it back to him. Oliver caught it easily. "What the hell are you asking _me_ for? Why don't you ask her that?"

"I don't want to make things uncomfortable for her. What if all she sees me as is a friend? She's doing me a huge favor here and if I make it worse for her, I'll feel like the worst sort of asshole."

"It's a risk, I'm not going to sugar coat it for you," Tommy told him. "But I think you might be pleasantly surprised. Felicity is a warm person and she's friendly to everyone but she's different with you. I can see that. Talk to her."

Oliver took a deep breath and tucked the box back in his pocket. "This has totally blindsided me. I just expected this to be about throwing my mom off my scent. I expected to fully pursue Laurel after the holidays."

"If you have feelings for Felicity, you had better not chase after Laurel," Tommy warned him, his voice low.

Oliver looked up sharply at his best friend to see a guarded expression there. He had to be jealous. What other answer could there be? He held up his hands in a sign of surrender. "Don't worry. I'll figure this out, one way or another, before I make any more moves towards Laurel."

The other man didn't look exactly happy to hear the news but he nodded. "That works, I suppose."

Oliver stood up. "Speaking of which, I should get back to my room. I'd like to talk to Felicity before we go to sleep."

Tommy stood as well. "Yeah, how's that working out, by the way? You guys sharing a room?"

He couldn't fight his smile. "I woke up with my arms around her this morning. She was adorably flustered but I gotta tell you; it felt fantastic."

Tommy smiled then, that same familiar easy smile Oliver was used to seeing. "I bet it did. For what its worth, I'm happy for you. Felicity is a great woman and you deserve someone like her."

"Thanks," he said. "And thanks for the advice."

"Don't mention it."

Oliver left Tommy's room and continued down the hall, stopping outside the door to the master bedroom. He waited for a long breath, imagining what was on the other side of the door. He doubted she was asleep already. Was she in bed? What was she wearing tonight? Maybe she was still getting changed? Or maybe she was shut up in the bathroom, hiding from him. He didn't know and the thrill of the unknown is what had him twisting the knob and pushing the door open.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Thanks for everyone's patience! I had a reason for not posting yesterday and I know it was frustrating for some of you but I'm also very glad to see that people are loving this story so much! I think this chapter will get everyone's Monday started off right. :) Enjoy! Oh, and Stephen Amell posted this video on Twitter, its the song which prompted the title of this fic and I find that rather prophetic, don't you? **

When he stepped into the bedroom, Oliver didn't immediately see Felicity. Perhaps she was in the bathroom. He shrugged out of his suit jacket and headed towards the walk in closet.

Offhandedly, he called out as he walked into the room adjacent to the bathroom, "Felicity!"

"I'm in here, be right out!" she called out and she sounded nearer than he was expecting and before he had a chance to put two and two together, he turned a corner and there she was.

She was still wearing her underwear. That was the only semi-coherent thought that flashed through his brain. It was a pathetic attempt on his part to pretend that it was "okay" that he was looking at her mostly naked because at least she wasn't _all_ naked. But the fact of the matter was, Felicity was standing right in front of him, nearly completely naked, and his brain just could. Not. Catch. Up.

Her hands flashed up to cover her breasts and he knew she'd been wearing a bra with her dress so that must mean she'd taken it off but he couldn't tear his eyes away even for a second. It took every effort he had to force his eyes up to her face, but oh, how he lingered on her curves on the way there. He felt vile and awful doing it but he literally could not help himself.

"Oliver!" Felicity gasped and the expression on her face finally registered with him. She was flushed a deep red and while she didn't look quite indignant, she looked definitely flustered. Finally, Oliver regained control of himself and he whirled around so he was facing the other direction.

"Felicity! I'm so sorry. I— I didn't realize you were in here," he stammered.

"That's okay but can you… give me a minute?"

"Sure! Sure, sure. Here, just let me…" Oliver dropped his suit coat on top of one of the cabinets and then strode out of the walk in closet, his face feeling like it was on fire.

He tried squeezing his eyes shut but when he did that, all he could see was flashes of Felicity's body. Her long, toned legs, a shapely hip, covered by the satin fabric of her underwear, the gentle curve of her belly… her breasts before she'd covered them with her arms. _That_ image, he knew, would haunt him.

Oliver scrubbed his hands over his eyes but the images wouldn't retreat. And now, he could see his own hands tracing over her body, fingers curling around her waist as he pulled her to him…

He swallowed hard. He'd come in here with plans to talk to her, maybe even tell her how he was starting to feel about her but now… how could he bring that up without it seeming like he was doing so just because he saw her like that? She would think he was trying to get into her pants. The kicker was, he _did_ want to get into her pants but it wasn't just because he'd seen so very much of her skin, but because of how he was starting to feel.

Oliver thought he may very well be in hell.

"Oliver?" Her voice was quiet at his back.

He turned back around to see her in a silk chemise and matching shorts. He recognized it from the lingerie shop where they'd purchased it. The peach color of the silk complimented her skin tone perfectly and set his mouth to watering. But he'd learned his lesson and this time, he focused solely on her face.

"Felicity, I—"

She held up a hand. "It's okay. It happens. I mean, I would rather it didn't happen to me, but… I'm not mad at you. Just a bit embarrassed." She smiled a little, an effort to show him that she was truly fine with it and he appreciated her effort, though he knew he didn't deserve it.

He swallowed again, his throat still feeling unnaturally dry. He pointed towards the closet. "I'll just… go get changed."

She nodded and stepped aside for him to pass.

Oliver took his pajama pants into the bathroom and shut the door. He leaned against it and let his head fall back. He'd only really been aware of how he was feeling for a few hours at most. How had everything gotten so complicated so quickly?

As he busied himself removing the suit, putting on the pajama pants and brushing his teeth, Oliver worked on clearing his mind of any lustful thoughts. If she was open to talking, fine, he'd see how it went, but he wasn't going to let his libido run the show.

When he reentered the bedroom, Felicity was sitting up in the bed, propped against a number of pillows, with her brand new tablet in her lap. Her hair was down, brushed out, and her usual glasses were perched on her nose. She looked so lovely sitting there like that, her brow slightly furrowed and her teeth biting into her lower lip. Oliver knew that in his younger, more careless and impulsive days, he would have come on strong, put the moves on her, pushed too far and too fast. He would have fucked it all up, that was for sure. For a moment, Oliver was deeply glad he'd never met Felicity when he was younger. She never would have given him the time of day.

Unsure what to say, he simply crossed the room and pulled back the covers on what he now thought of as "his side" and climbed in next to her. Oliver settled on his back and looked over to see Felicity smiling shyly at him. She gestured with her tablet.

"Thank you again for this. You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted you to have a gift for Hanukkah, even though I wasn't able to say that's what it was for," he explained.

She turned the tablet off and set it on the bedside table before sliding down so her head rested on the pillow next to his. Instead of facing away from one another like they had last night, they faced each other and Oliver found he vastly preferred this arrangement.

"I know. I understand. I'm just… touched that you would do that for me." Pink stained her cheeks adorably and he clenched his fist to keep from reaching up to brush her skin with his fingertips.

"Of course I would. I took you away from your regular holiday tradition. And… I wanted to."

Her blush deepened. "I had a good time tonight, with your family."

"Even my mother jumping down mine and Thea's necks at dinner?" he asked, only partially joking.

"I'm sorry she did that. But I think she only said this things because she cares about you both."

He flopped back onto his back, looking at the ceiling as he expelled a frustrated breath. "I wish she'd care enough to let me make my own decisions and not throw my past in my face."

A soft hand landed on his arm and Oliver could feel the shocks of it all the way down to his fingertips. He turned his head to see Felicity watching him with a soft expression. "Your past has made you the man you are today," she told him. "And I happen to think that man is pretty special."

His breath caught in his throat. He rolled onto his side, facing her again. "I don't know how you do it," he murmured.

"Do what?" She smiled bemusedly.

"Make me feel better about myself than anyone in my life ever has before."

Her smiled slipped away but she kept her eyes on his, as though she was searching for something there. After a moment, she spoke. "In that case, I'm not sure how you do it either."

"And what is it that I do?" The urge to touch her was so strong, he had to clench his fists again.

Felicity didn't speak for a long moment. "I don't want to say," she finally said, her voice quiet.

She sounded embarrassed, which puzzled him. "Why not? You can tell me anything. We're friends, aren't we?"

"That's the problem. We're friends."

Now he was really confused. "Felicity, I don't understand—"

She made a growling sound in her throat as she turned over onto her back. It was his turn to put a hand on her arm to prevent her from rolling away from him.

"Can we just drop it?" she asked meekly. "Please?"

"Okay. As long as you keep talking to me."

She turned back to face him, smiling again. "Of course. I love talking to you."

Her words warmed him. "Same here."

They talked for quite a while; he couldn't tell how long as he completely lost track of time. They discussed their hopes and dreams, things they'd talked about obtusely before to one another but now they delved into the subject in depth.

He learned that beyond her career, Felicity hadn't had many plans for romance and family. She didn't seem to want to linger on the subject but he did detect a longing look in her eye as she brushed off any ambitions towards getting married.

"Is it the institution you're opposed to or…" Oliver trailed off, hoping she'd pick up the thread.

"I don't know. I guess I haven't see very many good examples of marriages that have worked out," she admitted. "My dad left us when I was eight years old and I saw how much that devastated my mother. The thought of opening myself up to that sort of devastation is… scary."

Oliver hadn't really thought about it that way before. While his parents hadn't exactly been what he'd consider "madly in love", they'd remained civil and caring with one another. He and Thea had always been able to count on both of their parents being there for them while they were growing up. Perhaps he'd always just taken marriage for granted, as something he would do someday. Truthfully, he'd always expected it to work out rather like his parents' relationship had. Civil and caring, but without passion. He wondered, very briefly, if that's why he'd been so focused on Laurel.

"What about you?" she asked.

"I just always assumed I'd get married eventually." Felicity didn't know about his father's will; there'd never been any reason to tell her. For some reason, he felt reluctant to tell her now.

"To Laurel, right?"

He moved his shoulders in a shrug. "She was the best option. The only one who wanted to put up with my nonsense."

"I highly doubt she's the only one." She blinked a few times and he could tell she was growing drowsy. "I think there's other women out there who would love you, accept you. You just need to find the right one."

Oliver watched as her eyes drifted closed and wondered if maybe she could be that woman. To be loved by Felicity, a woman who would encourage him, ground him, challenge him to do and be better… it almost seemed like more than he could ever ask for.

He kept watching as she fell asleep, her chest rising and falling gently, her features relaxed and a hand curled up under her cheek. Now, he didn't try to resist it. He reached out and traced a finger down her temple and across her cheek, sliding across her jaw to pause right below her full, soft lips. Lips that he'd felt moving beneath his just hours earlier. God, he wanted to kiss her again. He _would_. Maybe tomorrow, he would make his move, if he could muster the courage.

Oliver kept his eyes on her until sleep finally came to claim him, dragging him down into a blissful warmth.

Oliver woke up the next morning under similar conditions as he'd woken up the day before. He had his arms full of a warm, soft woman and she was tucked right up to his front, her head under his chin. Their legs were tangled together and as he came to full awareness, Oliver felt the tell-tale prickling of arousal underneath his skin as she stirred a little, moving every so slightly against him.

He swallowed hard and found that his tongue ached. He'd never woken up so turned on before and that was saying something given the variety of situations he'd woken up in over the years. Felicity was pressed up to him, her soft curves resting against the hard planes of his chest, her light scent tickling his nostrils. She hummed a little in her sleep and instead of easing away as he should have done, Oliver tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer still.

It just felt so _good_ and so _right_ to have her here like this. It was ten different kinds of wrong, he knew that. He was awake and aware and she wasn't. He should wake her up, he should get out of this bed, he should put an entire house between the two of them right this minute because his control was hanging on by a very tenuous thread.

He drew in a shuddering breath. "Felicity," he whispered. There was no response. He loosened one of his arms from around her and palmed her shoulder, drawing back a little so he could see her face. He didn't shake her, but rather ran his hand down her arm a little, hoping to drag her back to awareness. The problem was that it wasn't doing anything to quell his arousal.

Her breathing stuttered and he watched as her eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes. Her eyes met his immediately but she didn't speak. She just looked at him, her expression open and soft. He felt a lightness in his chest and before he could even connect his brain to what he was doing, he was leaning towards her.

He kissed her softly, his lips cradling hers as the hand that had been rubbing at her shoulder and arm threaded up into her hair, holding her to him. There was no hesitation from Felicity as she melted into him, her own hand coming up to cup his jaw.

He licked across her lower lip and she responded, opening up to him and he wasted no time delving his tongue into the warm recesses of her mouth. She tasted incredible and Oliver couldn't stifle is groan as he moved over her, angling his head and deepening the kiss.

Felicity made a little sound, almost like a desperate mewling noise, that set his blood to boiling through his veins. He pressed his body into hers, mindlessly seeking friction for the growing hardness in his pajama pants. She canted her hips into his, welcoming the pressure and returning it. Oliver growled as he nipped at her lips; he was so turned on and so hard that he ached.

He pulled his lips from hers with great effort, but his lungs were burning for oxygen. He panted for breath as he kissed and nibbled along her jaw, moving to her throat and the spot on her neck behind her ear. Felicity squirmed underneath him, gasping. The fingers of one of her hands scraped through his hair while the other hand grabbed at his back.

"Oliver," she moaned and, _fuck_, he loved how his name sounded coming from her when she was like this.

"Felicity," he mumbled against her soft, warm skin as he moved down her neck and across her collarbone. The silk chemise she wore had these tiny straps, the lace edging delicate and every urge screamed at him to just rip the flimsy fabric to remove it from his path. Instead, he deliberately controlled himself, drawing one of the straps down her shoulder and exposing the top of her breast. His lips feasted on that soft swell of flesh. Felicity arched into his mouth, one of her legs rising up between his to nudge at his straining erection through his pants and Oliver very nearly saw stars.

His thoughts were swirling, focusing entirely on the woman underneath him who was giving back just as good as she got. She made another desperate little noise which had him pulling the chemise down further so he could continue his exploration. The moment her nipple was revealed, he enveloped the hardened nub into his mouth, rubbing it with his tongue and enjoying how Felicity's keening noise grew louder and more insistent.

A distant portion of his brain registered that this was happening too fast, but the wave of arousal between them felt like a freight train coming off the rails. Oliver wasn't at all sure he could stop it, even if he wanted to. But still, he had to check.

"Felicity," he gasped as he released her nipple. "I want—" His voice died in his throat. What _did_ he want? He didn't even know where to begin. He wanted _everything_.

"Yes," she hissed, using her hand to guide his head back to her breast. Oliver took that as her consent. Well, that and the way her hips were moving against him, her thigh still rubbing against him. Somewhere, he knew logically that perhaps she was still under the effects of sleep and not thinking clearly. On the other hand, the way her hand was drawing down over his abs and heading towards the waistband of his pajama pants felt pretty deliberate.

Oliver moved down Felicity's body, now pushing the edge of the chemise up so that he could kiss, lick and nibble along her belly, paying a little extra attention at her right hip, giving her a sharp nip when she jerked under his attentions. The lower he moved, the more he could smell her arousal and that heady scent shot straight to his nervous system, right to his dick. Fuck, he needed to taste her like _yesterday._

He was just tugging down the waistband of her silk sleep shorts when there was a loud knocking at their bedroom door. Oliver stilled instantly, not moving. Did he imagine it? A moment later, the knocking sounded again.

"What is it?" he called out, his voice hoarse.

"It's Thea!"

Oliver bit back a groan. "What do you want?" Hopefully she'd just say what she had to say and move along so he could get back to much more enjoyable activities such as plunging his tongue inside of Felicity.

"It's Christmas morning, you big doofus. Come on, everyone's waiting on you two!"

"Buzz off, Thea," he growled loudly and Felicity giggled beneath him.

"You can get nasty with her later. I want to open presents. If you're not down in 5 minutes, I'm coming in there. With a video camera."

_Shit_. He knew she meant it too. After all, she'd done it to him before.

"Fine. Now get lost!" He held still a moment, listening for he but there was only silence. She'd gone.

Sighing, Oliver readjusted himself over Felicity, moving back up her body. He dropped his forehead to hers, briefly, before brushing a soft kiss on her lips.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I know," she replied. "Come on, I don't want to end up on YouTube."

Oliver snorted as he moved off of her and watched regretfully as she climbed out of bed, pulling her chemise back into place. As she padded into the bathroom to freshen herself up, he knew that the interruption was for the best. They needed to talk, _really_ talk, about their feelings. As the burn of arousal slowly abated, he could finally think a little more clearly and knew that taking that step with Felicity without talking to her first would be a mistake.

But, holy _hell_, her mouth had tasted amazing and he was willing to bet thee rest of her did too.

A minute or two later, Oliver was sitting on the edge of the bed, combing his fingers through his short hair and finally getting himself back under control when Felicity came out of the bathroom. She looked a little sheepish as she tucked the ends of her thick cottony robe around herself.

"I don't know about you, but if there's no coffee down there I'm coming back up here," she announced.

Oliver blew out a laugh at that and some of the last remaining tension flowed out of him. "I like the way you think." Getting to his feet, he grabbed his own robe from the back of the chair by the balcony and tossed it on. "Let's get down there already."

He promised himself that he'd be talking to her later. And, god willing, get back to what they'd been so rudely interrupted from.

When Oliver and Felicity arrived down in the kitchen, just a minute past Thea's five minute warning, everyone was standing around the coffee pot with bloodshot eyes, nursing steaming mugs. Clearly, they hadn't been the only ones who had been roused out of bed this morning before they were ready. The only chipper person in the bunch was Thea, who bounced on the pads of her feet when they entered.

"Yay! Presents time!"

If it wasn't so perfectly in character for Thea, Oliver might have snapped at her for her exuberance. The thing was, Thea had always loved Christmas and there'd been years when she'd been a little girl when she'd woken the whole house up well before the sun rose. At least she'd waited for the halfway decent hour of 7am this year. Oliver thanked his lucky stars for that.

"Let us at least have our coffee first," Felicity begged. Tommy handed her a mug which she immediately curled her fingers around, smiling magnetically at the brew before taking a long sip.

Oliver chuckled as he muscled his way to the counter to grab his own mug. Everyone began to filter out of the kitchen and into the living room while he was adding the sugar to his mug. Only his mother remained behind and she tugged on his arm.

"What are you planning on giving Felicity for Christmas?" she asked.

Oliver felt a sliver of panic. "I— I gave her the present last night," he replied.

"I think you have something else you could give her." His mother's look was meaningful and Oliver immediately knew what she was referring to; that ring she'd given him the night before. A weight settled in his belly like he'd swallowed a stone.

"I don't think it's the right time for that." Oh, if only she knew how bad a time it was!

"You have less than six months until the will expires, Oliver," she reminded him needlessly.

Oliver grit his jaw and stared down at his coffee mug. "I know that. Can you just let handle this in my own time?"

"If only I could trust you to do that," she muttered, brushing past him on her way out of the kitchen.

Alone in the kitchen, he expelled a breath of air he hadn't known he was holding. Trust his mother to take what had been a perfectly magical morning and find the one way to ruin it. Thinking about his father's awful will was the last thing he wanted to be doing. He wanted to be back up in bed with Felicity, making her moan and scream. If his mother didn't let this go, she'd end up getting her way and it could cause everything with Felicity be ruined before it had a chance to really begin. Damn, if he'd only had ten minutes to talk to her this morning, to try to tell her what he was thinking and how he was feeling! Christmas was turning out to be a major cockblocker and if it played a hand in harming his chances with Felicity then he might just turn his back on the holiday altogether. Grumbling, Oliver made his way into the living room and hoped that the morning would improve.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: There's many of you who are worried about the will. There's also people who seem to be expecting a level of angst that won't be present. Sorry about that! Normally that would totally be my bag because I love getting into the angsty stuff, but this is a mostly fluffy story. As I said before, its basically a Hallmark Christmas movie. :) Cheesy, tropey, predictable and light. Also, a reminder: this story is all already written. I finished it a month ago! So there is an end in sight and its rapidly approaching. I will be posting the final chapter on Christmas Eve as my gift to you all. Before I go, I want to thank you all again for your AMAZING support of this story. I love reading everyone's comments and tweets and reblogs. You guys are the best readers ever. **

A fire was roaring in the huge stone fireplace and everyone was huddled around on the sofas, bundled in pajamas and robes and sharing throw blankets with one another. A tray of pastries sat on a table for anyone who got hungry and Thea was already nibbling on a cheese danish.

Felicity sat on one of the sofas with her feet tucked up underneath her, nursing her steaming mug of coffee. She was still wearing the chemise set but she'd put on some fluffy socks to keep her feet warm and the robe she had on pretty much covered everything, thank goodness. The room was warm but she was enjoying feeling snuggly. Oliver walked in a few moments after Moira and sat next to her without a word, taking one of the plush throws and covering both their laps with it.

His nearness set her on alert. Now that she was fully awake and had a couple good swallows of coffee in her, Felicity didn't know what to think about what had passed between her and Oliver when she'd woken up. At the time, it had felt as natural as breathing. His lips had been warm on hers and she'd felt no lie in the way he responded to her, in the way he touched her. There was no reason for him to kiss her like that other than that he had wanted to and Felicity had quickly become drunk on his affection. Why, if Thea hadn't knocked on the door, who knows where things would have ended up. At the time, she'd been all for it but now, she worried.

Maybe she was just a willing body in his bed. Felicity wasn't naive; she knew the stories of Oliver Queen's many conquests, including what had lead to his most recent breakup with Laurel Lance. He was a highly sexual man and she also knew how men got in the mornings. Just because it had been every fantasy she'd had for the last two years come true didn't mean it had meant anything special to _him_.

Felicity snuck a peek at Oliver and caught him watching her. He smiled and sipped his coffee. Felicity smiled back, but her nerves were in full freak-out mode. What would happen the next time they had to be alone? Would things be awkward? Did he regret what had happened?

She was brought out of her introspection by Thea, who leapt up from her spot next to Roy and announced herself as "Santa Claus". She dashed to the tree and started to grab up the presents she found underneath. Felicity had tucked a few gifts under the tree the day they'd arrived. Nothing much, just little trinkets she thought the receivers might enjoy. She hadn't known any of them very well when she'd gotten here but now they felt like family and she wanted very badly for them to enjoy their gifts.

She was surprised when Thea dumped several brightly wrapped packages in her lap and gave her a wink. Felicity looked to Oliver to see him smiling widely. He leaned in and said quietly so no one would hear, "You didn't think you wouldn't get any presents, did you?"

"But— I'm not—" She gestured weakly to the presents in her lap.

Oliver shrugged. "Doesn't mean you don't deserve presents."

Felicity could feel tears pressing against her eyes and she looked away to try to clear them. She didn't want someone seeing and thinking she was sad. It was quite the opposite. She'd never felt so much like she was a part of something before in her life. It was humbling and wonderful and she knew that long after this day was past, she would remember it fondly.

Everyone took turns opening a gift, starting with the youngest. As Thea delightedly ripped into one of her packages, Felicity thought that rule was probably on purpose in order to give the girl something to do with her excited energy. Felicity enjoyed watching everyone open their gifts, seeing what they got and their reactions.

Oliver got some very nice gifts; a cashmere sweater from his mother, a fancy new mp3 player from Walter, an expensive scarf from Thea, a bottle of aged scotch from Tommy and a pair of novelty socks with grumpy cat on them from Roy. Felicity had a good laugh at that last one along with everyone else. How many times had she called him Grumpy Cat when he'd come into her office, sulking about something?

Everyone liked the little things she'd gotten for them too. For Moira, she purchased a tea set she'd found at her local imports store. She knew from QC gossip that the matriarch liked to drink tea more than coffee and it had seemed perfect for her. For Walter, she'd purchased a lovely silk tie that she'd admired at the department store when she was out with Oliver last weekend. She'd picked out a handmade knitted hat and mittens set for Thea in a lovely shade of red that she thought would go with the younger Queen's coloring nicely. She hadn't known Roy one bit before coming up here but had picked out handsome leather wallet for him which he seemed to really like. He kept stroking the leather after he opened it. As for Tommy, she'd gotten him a blue scarf that she thought matched his eyes perfectly.

Oliver's gift was something she was rather proud of. She'd found it on Etsy of all places and had ordered it months ago with the notion she'd see him at work and give it to him there. His face when he opened the small box was priceless. Inside were a pair of silver cufflinks, just as fancy as anything she could have found at the department store. But they were adorned not with pearl or gemstones, but with an enameled Los Angeles Kings logo. She knew they were his favorite sports team; he talked about them constantly during hockey season. Looking at them now reminded her of their hockey game the day before and she smiled at the memory.

"Felicity!" he exclaimed, pulling one out and holding it up to the light. "How on earth did you find these?"

She shrugged, blushing. "If it's on the internet, I can find it."

He replaced the cufflink back in the box and set it aside right before he enveloped her in an enormous hug, crushing her to him. "Thank you," he murmured in her ear. "I love them. Its perfect."

Felicity flushed with pleasure as she clung to him. After his gift the night before, she'd worried they would be silly; not enough. But he seemed to genuinely like them and even better, he seemed touched at the thought.

She was surprised and pleased at the gifts she opened. Moira had gotten her a cashmere sweater in a soft pink color. Oliver had made a cute remark about them matching now that made Felicity's cheeks warm. Walter gave her a hand-tooled leather e-reader cover. Her fingers traced the etchings as she thanked him. Apparently, he remembered that she loved to read ebooks from a casual conversation she'd had with him months ago. Tommy gave her a set of candles that had been handmade using recycled wine bottles with impressive labels still intact.

Thea gave her a basket filled with three different wines. "Ollie told me that you like wine," she explained with a shrug. Felicity had gotten up and given the other woman a big hug.

"_Like_ is such a small word to explain how I feel about wine," she replied.

Roy's gift of chocolates and fancy crackers went perfectly with the wine and she toyed with the notion of inviting them both over to her place after the holiday to share them with her.

After Thea opened her last gift, a lovely charm for her bracelet from Roy, everyone stood up and started picking up the discarded wrapping paper and stuffing them in a trash bag Tommy retrieved from the kitchen.

Moira cleared her throat and looked pointedly at Oliver. "Don't you have another gift to give to someone?" she asked.

Everyone turned to look at Oliver, who was reddening and nearly glaring at his mother. "I think I've given all my gifts out," he replied calmly.

"No, I'm pretty sure you have another something to give to a very special young lady." She nodded in Felicity's direction and everyone's attention turned to her.

"That's okay, Oliver. You gave me a your gift last night and I love it," she told him.

"Don't be silly, dear. He was just saving the best for last. Come on dear, now's not the time to get shy." Moira urged.

"I'd rather deal with this privately," he said and she noticed his fist clenching at his side as he faced off against his mother. Why did he look so tense? _Was_ there another gift? And why did it seem to be such a loaded subject? The whole scene was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable.

"Nonsense. We're your family and we're here to support you and celebrate with you."

Tommy shared a look with Oliver that Felicity couldn't decipher but Thea, Roy and Walter all took up behind Moira and urged Oliver forward. Felicity could tell he was reluctant for whatever reason and it made her heart lurch in her chest, and not in a good way either. He looked closed off and uncomfortable and whatever it was that was making him feel that way couldn't be a good thing.

"Fine," he finally said with a growl. "I need to go get it." Oliver strode from the room without a backwards glance and Felicity felt a chill as she pulled her robe tighter around herself.

"I wonder what it could be!" Thea gushed with a knowing twinkle in her eye.

"Whatever it is, it's going to show up my gift I'm sure," Roy muttered.

Thea grabbed his face and landed a loud kiss on his lips. "Don't be silly. I love that charm."

Everyone groaned and Tommy threw a throw pillow at the pair as they kissed.

Oliver walked back in the room and he didn't look quite as stiff and angry anymore. He looked… hesitant, though. He crossed to Felicity and smiled a bit at her. Glancing at his mother, he reached for her shoulder and clasped it.

"Why don't you sit down?" he said.

"You don't have to do this, whatever it is," she whispered.

"My mother is going to force the issue, so yes, I do," he replied just as quietly. Nervous herself, she sat, folding her hands in her lap.

Thea gasped when Oliver, instead of sitting next to her on the sofa, got down on one knee before Felicity. He took one of her hands in his and she could swear her heart stopped beating. Or maybe it was just beating so hard and so fast that she could no longer feel it in her chest. Oliver locked eyes with her, his blue eyes warm and serious as he spoke.

"This isn't how I wanted to do this," he prefaced. "But sometimes we have to give up our plans when a new and better plan comes along. I think that sums up your place in my life quite nicely.

"Two years ago, I met you and I thought it was an average day but it turns out, it was one of the most important days of my life. You see, once I saw you and got to know you, everything changed. My whole universe changed. It just took me a very long time to realize it."

Felicity wasn't sure she was breathing because her lungs were burning. Surely that was a sign that she wasn't breathing, wasn't it? Oliver rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand encouragingly.

"I know you might think this is sudden and maybe it is. But when you know, you know. But the truth is, I love you, Felicity Megan Smoak. I would love to have the honor of spending dozens more holidays with you, just like this. Will you marry me?"

He was holding a small, velvet box and with those words, he flipped the top open. Inside was a ring that took her breath away. Felicity couldn't tear her eyes off of it. If she'd been brought to an enormous jewelry store and told to pick out what she wanted, she would have picked out this ring in a heartbeat, it was _that_ perfect. Now, her breath left her in a huge gush and now she could feel her heart pounding for all it was worth, threatening to leap from her chest.

What did this _mean_? Was he really proposing to her? Was this part of the ruse? It had to be, right? The way his mother had pressured him and his reluctance… But then everything he'd just told her had sounded so perfect. It didn't feel like a lie. Oliver was looking at her, and his eyes were shining. That felt real. The way he was looking at her was _real_.

That was how she found herself nodding as she bit into her lower lip. A smile broke across his face, lighting up all his features and she was swept up in the joy she saw radiating through his entire expression. Everyone around them was cheering and Felicity was vaguely aware of Thea jumping around hugging everyone and shouting, but the majority of her attention was focused on Oliver. He slipped the ring onto her finger and before she could really stop to appreciate how it fit perfectly, he pulled her to her feet and swallowed her in his embrace, kissing her deeply.

A moment later, a voice at their side said, "Jesus, Oliver, let her up for air will you?"

They broke apart to see Tommy grinning at them. He turned his smile on her and said, "I guess congratulations are in order?" One of his dark eyebrows was cocked knowingly but there was no judgement in his smile, only happiness

He hugged her and then passed her off to Thea who was nearly vibrating with excitement. Everyone hugged her, told her their congratulations and welcomed her to the family. Even Moira was warm with her, which kind of threw Felicity off guard. Her mind was still a whirl with what had just happened, unsure if she was still in bed dreaming or if this was actually happening.

It suddenly occurred to her that she _had_ to talk to Oliver. Before anything else happened, she needed to have some time alone to see what he was really thinking and to ground herself. Because she felt like she might just float off into the stratosphere and be lost forever if she didn't have him to help ground her right now.

Her eyes met his from across the room. He'd been speaking to Tommy and as soon as she located him, he'd looked up at her. She tried to convey to him through her expression that she needed him and moments later, he was striding up to her and Walter. Walter had been offering his own congratulations and while she didn't begrudge him that and she appreciated the sentiment, she needed something else more at the moment.

"Can I steal my fiancée from you, Walter?" he asked, his hand already on her elbow.

"Yes, by all means. She's all yours, Oliver."

Oliver took her hand and lead her from the room, everyone's congratulations still ringing in her ears. Felicity stumbled along behind him, the shock of what had just happened just starting to finally catch up with her. He brought her to their room and she couldn't even recall climbing the stairs.

Oliver took one look at her face and steered her towards the bed. "Here, sit before you fall over. Are you okay?" he asked.

She sat and didn't realize she was trembling until he grabbed her hands. "I just— I wasn't expecting that, Oliver."

He looked a little regretful as he sat next to her. "I know. And I hate that I had to spring that on you. It's just… I could tell my mother was going to press the issue. I wouldn't have been surprised if she'd popped the question herself."

Her doubts flooded her again. "Oliver…" A million questions danced on the edge of her tongue but she couldn't voice any of them. Did he mean it? Was it a ruse for his family? He said he loved her, did he meant that? What did this all _mean_?

"I wanted to talk to you before this. I've wanted to talk to you since last night, actually, I just… lost my nerve," Oliver admitted.

That struck her as odd. In the two years she'd known him, she'd never known Oliver to anything other than supremely confident, especially in his dealings with other people. It was part of what made him an effective CEO. While he still had a lot of technique to perfect, he exuded confidence and that was key.

"Oliver," she said softly. "You can always talk to me."

"I know the timing is crazy on all of this, and you don't have to accept my proposal. I understand if it was too sudden."

"It _was_ pretty sudden," she agreed and she looked at the ring as it sat on her finger. Damn, it looked _good_ there and she wanted to believe it but it was just… so much. And he couldn't _possibly_ mean it. That meant that this ring wasn't really _hers._

"I should give you the ring back," she told him.

"Felicity…"

"I'll wait till after the holiday is over, don't worry."

"Felicity. Let me talk." She took a breath and looked at him. "I know that I asked you here as a favor, to pose as my girlfriend. But… it never really felt like pretending. As soon as we got here, it felt real and it's only felt more real with every passing hour."

Her brow furrowed. "What are you saying, Oliver?"

"That I think, or rather, I _know_ I'm falling in love with you."

If she thought she'd been flummoxed by the proposal, this somehow hit her harder. All she could do was gape at him, her eyes searching his and looking for any sign of a lie and finding absolutely none. He smiled a little, the corners of his lips quirking up.

"Do you understand?"

She nodded slowly. "But… how?"

"What do you mean, _how_?"

"It's just… I'm not even remotely your type, Oliver," she muttered. He reached up and stroked her cheek with a fingertip, gently as though she were made of porcelain.

"I think that's where you're wrong. I think you're completely my type and I just never knew it. I haven't known what to think, feeling this way about you, and then we had that day on the pond, playing hockey and then I showed you my fort…"

"I'm glad you did." She smiled. "You were so adorable, sharing that with me."

"I felt it then and I couldn't deny it. I have feelings for you, Felicity and they're growing so fast I can hardly keep up with them."

She bit into her lip again. "So… this morning…?"

His eyes drifted over her shoulder to the pillows and then back to hers and his smile grew heated. "I very much wanted that, Felicity. With you."

Felicity swallowed thickly. "I did too."

"I was afraid to talk about all this with you," Oliver admitted. "I wasn't sure how you'd take it."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't want to put you on the spot with my feelings when all you're doing is this huge favor for me."

Her breath whooshed out of her and she realized, _he doesn't know_. Perhaps she'd done a better job at hiding her feelings for him than she'd thought she had. Felicity noticed then the look on Oliver's face, how resigned he appeared. He really _didn't_ know.

"Oliver," she said, turning more fully towards him and taking his face in her hands. "Don't you know how I feel about you?"

"You're my best friend, Felicity. Next to Tommy."

"Oliver, I've been in love with you for ages now."

His eyes grew huge. "No…"

She nodded, smiling a little and she could feel herself getting choked up. "Yes. I can't believe you didn't notice."

"I can't believe it either," he breathed. In an instant, he pulled her to him and his lips captured hers. Happiness threatened to burble out of her and she clung to his shoulders. He had feelings for her, honest to god feelings. In her wildest dreams she never could have imagined this happening. The whole engagement thing was still way too soon, but now it loomed like an actual possibility on the horizon and Felicity wanted to laugh out loud from the sheer impossibility of it all.

Except, then Oliver was stroking his tongue into her mouth and Felicity lost coherent thought altogether. Never before had a man been able to turn her on this much with just a kiss. His hands were firm on her, one arm banded around her back and the other snaked down so he could cup her ass, pulling her towards him. Felicity followed his lead, climbing into his lap and straddling him as he continued to tease her tongue with his.

Oliver kissed like no other man she'd ever known. He threw his whole body into it, to the point that she felt completely and utterly under his spell. He could tell her to fly to the moon and she'd probably do it. _So this is how he seduced so many women_, a small voice her head said.

His fingers dug into her ass, causing her to jerk against him. He chuckled against her lips and she pulled away, giving him a look.

"You think you're so impressive with all those moves, Mr. Queen?" she asked him tartly.

His blue eyes darkened. "Say that again."

"What? Mr. Queen?"

With a growl, he lunged forward and slanted his lips over hers again. If she could have, she would have laughed. But then he did a little move with his tongue and she forgot everything else.

They kissed like that for ages. It felt like forever and like no time at all. Finally, she pushed on his chest and leaned away, her chest heaving.

"I need air!" she complained mildly.

Oliver chuckled and swung her off his lap and arranged her so she was settled back on the bed, laying with her head on the pillow. He laid down next to her and they both stared at the ceiling, fighting to catch their breath.

"I can't remember the last time I made out like that," he remarked.

"Me either," Felicity admitted. "That was fun."

She turned her head at the same time he turned his to look at her. He grinned. "It was."

"So what are we going to do with ourselves now?" she asked, feeling a little coy.

"How about we go back down to the pond?" Oliver suggested.

"You don't want to stay in?" She wasn't pouting, honestly she wasn't.

He leaned over and pecked at her lips. "Of course I do. But I want the freedom to take my time with you and I can't do that right now with everyone running around out there and Thea liable to barge in at any moment."

"Good point."

"Don't worry. I am forming plans, Ms. Smoak," he promised, giving her another dark look and she felt a shiver run down her spine at the promise.

"I'll hold you to that," she replied, feeling more than a little breathless.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: First things first: this chapter gets a wee bit naughty. Beware when reading in public places. This is your last warning. Second: I think I over stated the fluff/angst thing yesterday. I didn't mean to make it sound like there wouldn't be ANY angst, just that the the angst that IS coming is of the mild variety. Remember when I said this was basically like a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie? Yeah, that sort of angst. Also another thing: I saw someone express some incredulity over how quickly this relationship has progressed. I assure you: that's on purpose. Have you ever seen one of these cheesy movies? This isn't a very serious story. ;) While these two characters have known each other for a few years (and its my belief, falling for each other all that time without knowing it), their falling in love has been rather quick and the whole marriage thing definitely ramps it up. But... that's kind of intentional. It's *supposed* to be too soon. Never fear, I have a plan! Anyhow, thanks everyone for reading and commenting! Your support means everything! **

Oliver let Felicity take a shower before they headed down to the pond. He was tempted to join her and he knew she was tempted to ask him to, but he had those _plans_, dammit, and he wanted to see them through. Because now that he knew how she felt about him, he wanted to do this right.

While she was doing that, he helped himself to the shower in Tommy's room. His friend was downstairs playing board games with Roy and Thea and had just shaken his head and grinned when Oliver asked to use his shower. He knew Tommy was just dying to ask what was holding him back with Felicity but was glad he held his tongue for now.

As he quickly ran through his shower, Oliver couldn't get over hearing Felicity tell him that she was in love with him. In a million years, he never would have guessed she felt that way about him. But now, knowing that she did, he could look back at some of their interactions and see the signs. God, what a blind fool he'd been. He'd been so concerned with his own life and his dealings with Laurel that he'd never stopped to notice. He hadn't realized what was right under his nose. What if he hadn't asked her on this trip? Would he never have found out?

The thought that he could have missed his chance with her, never noticing, until she met some bland guy in accounting and got married sent chills down his spine. He had to believe everything happened for a reason and now he was seeing that this trip, which he had cursed the week before, was the biggest blessing in disguise he'd ever received.

After the shower, he pulled on some jeans, a henley and a sweater and headed back across the hall to their room. Felicity was in the bathroom but the door was open and he could hear the hair dryer going.

"You decent in there?" he called out.

"Would it matter if I wasn't?" she called back cheekily.

"Yes. Plans, Felicity. Lots and lots of plans."

Her laugh rang through the room, making him smile.

"Yes, I'm decent."

He walked into the bathroom to see her finishing up with her hair, pulling in into a ponytail. He hadn't seen a ponytail on her since Saturday and he realized in that moment that he'd missed it. He stepped up to the long counter and started to brush his teeth, watching out of the corner of his eye as she applied lipstick. The domesticity of the moment hit him hard in the chest. He wanted about a million other moments with her, just like this.

She was wearing another pair of tight jeans along with the cashmere sweater his mother had given her that morning. The soft fabric clung to her curves and made his mouth water. Not to mention how the jeans clung to her fine ass. Oliver began to wonder if Felicity was doing this on purpose to torture him and when she met his eye in the bathroom mirror and winked at him, he knew that she was.

In the closet, Felicity picked out some items and handed them to Oliver, directing him to put them on. Gloves, a hat, a scarf… He smiled at her mothering and watched while she put on some fuzzy earmuffs and tied a scarf around her neck. She finished off with some brightly colored knitted gloves and then twirled before him with a flourish.

"Ready?" she asked.

"As I'll ever be."

When they got down to the pond, they found Thea, Roy and Tommy all down there already. Roy and Tommy were playing an impromptu game of hockey on the far end of the pond and Thea was making a snowman near the shack.

"Ooh, do you have figure skates?" Felicity asked as they got close. She turned around to face him, walking backwards. Her smile was huge, her cheeks already flushed from the cold. "I haven't tried figure skating in _years_."

"Sure we do," he replied.

Inside the shack he found a pair of women's figure skates better in her size and passed them to her. Felicity squealed with delight as she plopped down onto a nearby log to put them on. When she was laced up, she looked at him with a quizzical expression.

"Are you going to skate too?" she asked.

Oliver shook his head. "Nah, I think I'll just watch you." He let his desire show in his expression and was gratified when her cheeks turned pink.

As Felicity made her way onto he ice, Oliver walked over to Thea. "Can I help?" he asked her.

"Sure. I think I've got the middle section all rolled up but getting it up on top of the bottom is where I realize I didn't think this through," she replied.

Oliver lifted the large ball of snow and placed it on top of the even larger ball she'd already rolled up. Out on the ice, Felicity was skating in lazy circles, building up speed. His eyes lingered on her, on the lean lines of her legs and body and arms.

"You, my brother, are smitten," Thea remarked, standing next to him.

"I can't deny that," he murmured.

"Where did she _come from_? I mean, I heard the story about how you guys met but… I just don't get _how_ this happened. I don't mean to insult you, big brother, but you're the sort that picks up women in night clubs. She's just so… _good_."

Oliver took a deep breath. "It came from nothing. From nowhere. I don't know, Thea. I wasn't expecting this."

He turned his head to find her grinning at him. "You sound like a cheesy romantic movie right now. Isn't that how all the epic love stories begin?"

He grinned back. "Maybe."

"I like her," Thea declared, handing him the small ball of snow she'd rolled up for the head. "I like her more than I liked Laurel, at least when you two were together."

Oliver placed the head-ball on top of the middle ball and wiggled it around until it was secure. "What?"

Thea shrugged. "I never wanted to say when you guys were going out but I never got a really good feeling from the two of you together. You were too much alike or something. I don't know."

"That's funny. Tommy said something similar to me. That we weren't good together, that is."

"I bet he did," she muttered dryly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Listen, my point is, you're different with Felicity. You're more… _you_. I swear, I've seen you smile more the last few days than I've seen you smile in years."

"Is that your recipe for life long happiness? Smiling?" he asked, teasing.

Thea grabbed some black rocks out of the pockets of her jacket and began working them into the belly of the snowman. "It's one of the ingredients, big brother. If you're going to spend your life with someone, it may as well be someone who makes you smile."

They continued to work on the snowman and Oliver continued to watch Felicity as he worked. She twirled on the ice, her ponytail streaming behind her. What Thea said struck a chord in him. She made it all sound so simple but yet, isn't that why it sounded true? The thought of spending his life with Felicity didn't give him the same sort of pit of dread the thought of marriage had always given him before. Instead he felt… anticipation. He wanted this. That surprised the hell out of him.

As he watched Felicity spin around in place, her colors becoming a blur on the ice, he knew he needed to stop being surprised by her. Or at least, he needed to expect the unexpected. Thea was chattering on about an upcoming trip she was taking with Roy to go skiing in Aspen over New Years, but all he could do was watch the angel gliding over the ice like he was some lovestruck teenager. Oliver knew he was being completely ridiculous and he couldn't even feel sorry about it.

"You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?" Thea asked him, fixing a couple more rocks into the snowman's head to make eyes.

Oliver turned apologetic eyes on his sister and she laughed delightedly. "Don't even bother apologizing. I see you mooning over her. Considering you just proposed to her this morning, I think I'll excuse you just this once."

They called everyone off the ice so they could go sledding down the hill next to the house. Oliver hadn't done it since he was a teenager and found himself excited to share the experience with Felicity. Particularly with her siting between his legs. Oh yes, he was definitely looking forward to that.

They stowed the skates and hockey gear and grabbed out a few fiberglass sleds that Oliver recalled from his childhood. The hill lead down to the driveway that circled around the front of the house and Tommy gallantly offered to be the one to go first. Once they all saw him survive the slide, they were quick to join in.

Soon, the air rang out with shrieks of laughter and delight. Snow was starting to fall softly around them but it only added to the atmosphere of the moment. Shit, Oliver realized he wanted to do this every year with _her_. And then, someday, he wanted to bring their kids here for Christmas and do it with them. Oh yes. He wanted. Good lord, he was also getting _very_ ahead of himself.

He went down the hill a few times by himself and Felicity went down by herself as well. On those runs, he took out his phone and videoed her, catching her delighted screams and laughter and the way her eyes danced when she would run up to him afterward to give him a big hug. Snowflakes landed on her hair and her eyelashes and she looked just like a snow princess.

God, he wasn't ready for this holiday to be over.

Roy started up a snowball fight just as Oliver was coming down the run and he had to immediately duck for cover and build up his own cache of snowballs. Felicity got him in the head with one but he paid her back with one right between her shoulder blades when she tried to run and hide.

Then, she and Thea ganged up on the guys and they were sneaky as heck, using all kinds of devious tactics to land their hits. He was lucky to land a hit on a leg on or an arm, but Felicity had a knack for nailing him in key areas. At one point, she got him right in the neck and the icy clumps of snow worked their way under his sweater, melting and dripping down his back in a cold streak.

She was laughing and he was struck by such a visceral yearning that it was immediately followed by a shot of fear, gripping him like the iciness of the snow. What if he screwed all this up? What if this was just a fanciful interlude and whatever he was feeling now vanished when they were back in Starling City?

Yet, as much as he felt that fear, he wanted a life with Felicity even more. This time, unlike all the other times with all the other women before, he really, _really_ wanted it.

When they got back to the room, they were both half frozen and out of breath from laughing. Oliver shook the snow from his hair, sprinkling Felicity with icy drops.

"Oliver!" she cried, running from him and putting the bed in between them. "That's cold!"

"That's the idea!" he replied, his eyes twinkling playfully.

"Now, Oliver, the fight's over. Thea and I won fair and square. A cease fire has been called," she told him, holding up her hands as though to ward him off.

"I demand reparations." His voice was low and suggestive and made her blood begin to heat.

"I don't think that's how it works, Oliver."

"I don't care." He lunged at her then, going over the top of the bed to get to her.

Felicity squeaked and tried to duck away from him but Oliver was freakishly fast and he was over the bed and wrapping his arms around her from behind, lifting her up off the ground and then tossing her onto the bed as though she weight no more than a sack of flour.

She bounced one time before Oliver was over her, grabbing her wrists and pinning her down into the fluffy down comforter. "Reparations, Ms. Smoak," he purred as he shifted his grip so he could hold both wrists with on hand. With the other, he began an assault on her ribs, tickling her mercilessly.

Felicity tried to wriggle away from him, but Oliver was straddling her, his knees tight around her hips. His grip on her wrists was firm and unyielding so she could do little more than arch her back and beg for mercy.

"Oliver!" she gasped.

"Do you submit?" he asked, an eyebrow cocked as he stilled his hands.

She gave him what she hoped was a dry look. "To you? Never!"

He redoubled his efforts, tickling her until she cried out. "Okay! Stop! Stop!" Tears were leaking from her eyes from laughing so hard.

Oliver instantly relaxed his grip at the same time as he flattened himself over her. "Hey," he whispered, before running his nose along hers, his lips barely brushing against hers.

And now she was breathless for a completely different reason. "Hey," she replied softly.

He looked into her eyes and she found herself getting lost in the beautiful blue of his irises. Felicity was quickly finding out that having the full attention of a man like Oliver focused on her was like nothing she'd ever experienced. It made every other romantic encounter she'd ever had before pale by comparison.

"Kiss me," he murmured, still rubbing his nose alongside hers.

Something about him making that request made her heart leap. Arching her neck, she pressed up until her lips covered his. She didn't have a good angle on it but her whole body thrilled at the contact regardless.

Oliver banded an arm around her back and, with a groan, rolled them so that she was laying atop him. Felicity grinned into his mouth as she shifted over him, bringing her hands to rest on either side of his head as she slanted her mouth over his, tasting him deeper. He moved his hands down her sides, his fingers curling around to brush her back, her ribs and down over her stomach and hips. When he reached her ass, he grabbed with both hands and pulled her into his hips where she could feel him growing hard. The barrier of their somewhat damp jeans provided just the right sort of friction.

Felicity released his mouth with a gasp when his erection brushed against her just right. "Oh god, Oliver."

"Yes. Felicity," he murmured, his lips devouring the skin of her neck.

She felt like she was on fire, the flames licking outward from her core. She kissed across his stubble, letting it scratch at her lips and she nibbled at his jaw. Oliver groaned, his fingers flexing on her ass. Her hips ground into his again and he groaned loudly.

"Felicity… if you don't stop soon…" He trailed off, his meaning clear.

She smiled against his skin, feeling full of feminine power. "I don't want to stop."

"Nghhh…" He stuttered as she rotated her hips around in a rhythm. "Me either."

The noises Oliver was making were amazing. The confirmation that she was turning him on as much as he was turning her on fueled her desire until it was a raging inferno. His hips were moving now too, pressing up into her and his powerful hands kneaded into her ass, dragging her along his erection. He groaned in her ear and it was the most erotic sound she'd ever heard.

"Oliver… please," she moaned in his ear and she wasn't even sure what she was begging for. It's just that the fire was building and she felt like all her nerve endings were going off at once.

Frantic, she crashed her lips to his and he responded enthusiastically, his tongue plunging between her lips and mimicking the rocking of his hips against hers. He was hitting her just right, the friction was so good…

They kept moving, her heartbeat roaring in her ears. She didn't know if she was making any noise, but her tongue was in his mouth and she'd never kissed anyone the way she was kissing him right now. It was wild and desperate and while Felicity wasn't some inexperienced virgin, she'd never really felt this sort of desperation before. She hadn't known what she was missing, apparently.

Oliver's fingers were likely leaving bruises in her hips and ass but she didn't care one bit. His hips were pumping hard and she too was moving for all she was worth. One of Oliver's hands flew up to her hair, fingers burying into the strands and holding her head to his even as he tore his lips from hers. Their foreheads pressed together as they panted.

"Yes, keep moving like that," he groaned, "God, feels so _good_."

"Please, don't stop!" she cried.

"Never…"

"Ol— I'm close!"

"Me too. Fuck…!"

The pressure building in her core exploded suddenly, blowing over her like a giant ocean wave, dragging her under and she knew she was being loud, louder than she usually was, but it felt so damn _good_ and then he was jerking and grunting and crying out too.

After the waves finally subsided, Felicity lay still on top of Oliver, suddenly unsure on what the etiquette was in a situation like this. But before she could worry too much, he was pressing his lips to her forehead and whispering her name. Felicity scooted down a touch and rested her head agains his shoulder, letting her body go limp.

After a long moment where she listened to his heart as it finally began to settle and slow, his chest started to shake. Felicity lifted her head to see him laughing silently.

"What's so funny?" she asked, smiling slightly.

"I haven't done that since high school," he explained, still chuckling.

"I don't think I've ever done that, actually."

"Seriously?" Oliver looked disbelieving.

Felicity shrugged a little. "If I ever wanted to get it on, I just got it on. It's never been so… sudden. Desperate."

Oliver's smile softened. He sat up, pulling her with him so she sat on his lap. There was a wet spot on the front of his jeans but he didn't seem the least bit concerned about it. There was something so incredibly sexy about that.

Hand behind her head, he pulled her to him and kissed her sweetly. He pulled away a little and looked into her eyes. "I find that hard to believe. I feel like the last couple of days I've always been a bit desperate around you. And it's just getting worse."

She laughed a little breathlessly. "Well, I definitely know what you mean there. I— I didn't mean for that to happen. It's just— once we started, I couldn't stop. I didn't want to. I don't—"

He let go of her head and put a finger over her lips, silencing her. "Shh. It's okay, Felicity. That was amazingly hot," he told her.

"So I didn't ruin your plans for later?" she asked mischievously.

Oliver shook his head. "Not a bit. Just let off some much needed pressure."

She laughed at that. "We should get ourselves cleaned up and ready for dinner."

"Yeah." He didn't release her. "I'm just not ready to share you yet." He nuzzled her throat with his nose, laying soft kisses along her skin there. Who knew that Oliver Queen was such a snuggler?

"I wish we could just fast forward through dinner and get to the after," Felicity pouted.

He kissed her, smiling as he did so. "So, you're just as bad as I am."

She nodded.

Neither of them moved. Oliver sighed. "Felicity?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been really happy today."

"I have too. It's been nice."

He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her loosely. "Seeing that ring on your finger, even with… everything… It's been so easy to pretend and I've just—"

Wait. What was he saying? "Oliver?"

"I like being engaged to you, Felicity. You're the realest thing in my life."

Her breath stilled and she stared at him. "What are you saying?"

"I know that everything I said before is still true, it's so fast… but today has just shown me that what I want is _you_."

"Are you saying you really do want to marry me?" Her chest feel tight and she forced herself to breathe.

Oliver nodded slowly, watching her closely. "Yeah, I guess I am. You make me so happy, Felicity. And I want to make you happy too. I want to be your family."

Just like that, with those simple words, tears sprang to her eyes. Family. She thought about having holidays like this with Oliver and his family for years ago come and she actually yearned for it. It seemed like too much to possibly hope for. "Oliver…"

"Please say you'll consider it," he begged, his hands tightening on her back.

She wanted to so badly. Did she really have the courage to reach out and grab her dream when it was in her reach? What if she never got the chance again? "Okay. Yes. Oliver, yes. I want you to be my family."

His smile was breathtaking and he leaned forward to kiss her again, this time, pouring so much emotion into it that Felicity felt tears began to leak from her eyes. When he released her, a sob tore from her throat.

"Felicity?" He looked concerned.

She let go of his shoulders to swipe under her eyes. "It's okay. I'm just happy."

"Okay, good. Happy I can work with."

He helped her up and they each took a turn in the bathroom getting cleaned up and changed for dinner. She picked out a stunning red dress with clever cutouts on the back. Her hair, she decided to leave down, instead styling it in soft waves around her face. She wanted to keep it simple, keep it light. And, of course, she made sure she was wearing her sexiest set of bra and underwear on underneath. As she applied her makeup, she imagined Oliver striping her out of her dress later on and discovering the ridiculously tiny scraps of satin. She imagined him tearing them off of her with his teeth.

Her heart had never felt so light as it did right now. It honestly felt as though nothing could ruin this perfect day for her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Well, here we are guys. I know people have been dreading this and I did draw it out a bit, getting here. Here is where not just the other shoe drops but ALL the shoes drop. Please don't hurt me. ;) Also, thanks again for the continued outpouring of support over this story. Words can't express how happy I am that this story is making some of you feel better about this hiatus (and that finale!). Feel free to drop me a line here, on tumblr or on twitter. I'm happy to chat! **

Christmas dinner looked amazing. Oliver wondered if everything had always looked this good, spread across the table, or if he was just noticing it this year because he was riding high on cloud nine. There was a huge roasted turkey, its skin golden brown and glistening in the candlelight. Bowls and serving dishes of stuffing, salad, potatoes and roasted vegetables ran the length of the table, with bottles of wine interspersed at regular intervals. The fine china was set out, the silverware glinting in the atmospheric light. And the smells! Suddenly, Oliver was very aware that they hadn't had much to eat all day and he couldn't wait to dive right in.

Felicity took the seat to his right and he immediately reached underneath the tablecloth to squeeze her knee. She smiled but gave him a quelling look. The message was clear: _hands off till later, buddy_.

So, in response, he ran his hand up her leg, under the hem of her dress until his fingers touched the soft skin of her thigh. Then, he withdrew his hand and winked at her. Felicity's face, meanwhile, nearly matched the red color of her dress. She took a sip of her water to try to hide it.

Everyone at the table looked relaxed, happy and content. Instrumental Christmas carols played on the sound system in the background as they ate, talking over the usual sorts of subjects all the while. Oliver traded old stories with Tommy and joked around with Thea, but his mind was very much on Felicity and getting her alone in their room after dinner.

If Felicity was as distracted as he was, she did a great job at hiding it. She talked business with his mother and Walter, never missing a beat, and Oliver could tell that his mom was impressed with the statistics Felicity brought up, backing up her argument that QC could greatly benefit with more research into Applied Sciences. Walter simply looked on proudly, chiming in with agreement from time to time. He met Oliver's eye at one point, winking. Great things were ahead for Felicity's career and Oliver couldn't be happier about that. Because he knew _she _would be happy. When was the last time he'd been so pleased with someone else's happiness?

He should have known that peace couldn't last.

It started when Moira made an offhanded comment about how Thea was liking living in the small apartment that was located over the club she owned and managed. Oliver could tell by the glitter in his mother's eye when she asked that she knew something, and so could Thea.

"You obviously are trying to get to me to admit something, mother, so why not come out with it?" she asked wearily.

"When was the last time you stayed in that apartment?" A raised eyebrow from his mother punctuated the question that sounded more like a statement.

"Two months ago," Thea replied, her chin jutting up.

"And where have you been staying in the meantime?"

"With Roy." The words were uttered from between gritted teeth.

His mother sat back in her chair and dotted her napkin at the corners of her mouth. "In the Glades? I don't know if I approve of that…"

Roy opened his mouth and looked like he was about to speak but Thea piped up before he could get a word out. "You don't have to approve, Mother. I am a grown woman and I can make my own decisions."

"You are also a Queen and the Glades isn't a safe place for a young woman to live."

"But it's okay for a poor dude to live there? Right? So I can date her, I just can't bring her into my world?" Roy finally said and everyone gaped at him. It was the first time he'd ever spoken angrily to Moira Queen.

"Now, Roy, there's no need to get defensive—"

"Is this where you tell me I'm not good enough to date your daughter? Because I love her and I am serious about this relationship with her."

Thea had a hand on Roy's arm but she wasn't trying to hold him back. If anything, the smile she was giving him was proud and encouraging. His mother, on the other hand, looked a little flustered. Color bloomed high on her cheeks and Oliver knew that was a sign that she was getting upset.

But before she could say anything, there was a knock at the door. Everyone exchanged surprised looks; who on Earth would be knocking at the door during Christmas dinner? Clear up here in the mountains, to boot? Oliver wiped his mouth on his napkin and stood up.

"I'll answer it."

He left the tension in the living room and walked to the door, opening it to find none other than Malcolm Merlyn standing on the front porch. Oliver was so surprised, he didn't know what to say.

"Mr. Merlyn…"

"Hello, Oliver. I hope you can forgive my interruption but I was told my son was here." Malcolm was a tall, dark haired man with sharp blue eyes and a hard set to his jaw. He could be at times enigmatic and charming but Oliver knew mostly from stories Tommy shared with him that he could also be cruel and manipulative. Coming up here tonight was definitely manipulative. Still, he stood aside and let the man in, not seeing a way that he could politely turn him away.

"Sure, right this way. We're just having dinner…"

Malcolm breezed past him, leaving Oliver alone to shut the door.

He made it to the dining room in time to see Moira stand up from the table, looking shaken. "Malcolm! What are you doing here?"

"I heard my family was having Christmas without me," he replied smoothly but the steel under his voice was clearly detectable.

Felicity, Thea, Roy, Walter and Oliver all looked to Tommy, who was glaring at his father so hard that it was surprising that the other man wasn't flinching. But Moira and Malcolm's gazes both dropped to Thea, which Oliver noticed right away. Felicity noticed too, and she reached up and grabbed Oliver's hand.

"Malcolm, I told you that I needed time…" Moira started to say. Her voice was shaking and Oliver wasn't sure he'd ever heard her sound that way before. His normally tough as nails mother was suddenly shaking like a leaf. Walter was up out of his chair and at Moira's side in an instant, an arm around her shoulders.

Malcolm moved to stand behind Thea's chair and that's when Tommy noticed the shift. He shifted his gaze from his father to Thea, a crease forming between his eyebrows.

"And when I heard my son had come to join you for Christmas, I realized that I was likely in danger of losing all of my family if I didn't make a claim," Malcolm explained calmly.

"Oh, shit," Oliver breathed, looking between Moira and Malcolm. Felicity squeezed his hand.

"Wait." Thea held up a hand and looked around at everyone. "What the _hell_ is going on?"

Walter rubbed Moira's shoulders but he absolutely did not look surprised. He did look rather regretfully at Thea though, which had a lead weight sinking into Oliver's stomach.

"Thea, sweetie," his mother began, starting in Thea's direction. His sister held up a hand, holding her off.

"No, I want to know why everyone is looking at me like this!"

"Thea, it's because I am your father. Your biological father." Malcolm squeezed her shoulder and she shook away from him, getting up from her seat so fast that the chair clattered to the floor behind her.

"You're lying!" she hissed. Felicity, who was seated next to Thea, got to her feet and reached out for the girl. Thea let her put her arms around her, offering her strength.

"No, Thea, I'm not. I just found out myself this last week. I went to your mother to try to persuade her to tell you, but…" Malcolm shrugged and looked to Moira who now looked enraged. Her face was pale, but her eyes were snapping.

"How _dare_ you. First you barge in here on our Christmas dinner and then you drop this bombshell. What is your game, Malcolm?" she spat at him. Malcolm looked nonplussed.

"I simply want a chance to know my daughter, and for her to know me."

Oliver saw his mother glare at Malcolm and knew she saw through his pretty words. His own mind was still reeling with the shock, however. His sister… was Malcolm's daughter?

"Mom, how did this happen?" he found himself asking before he'd even fully decided to vocalize the question that had been blaring in his head since the bomb had been dropped.

She blushed a little and Oliver noticed Walter's hand tighten around her. "It was… during a difficult time in my marriage to your father. He was having an affair, one of many he had over the years, and I didn't deal with it very well. Malcolm was grieving the loss of his wife—" Her eyes darted to Tommy who still looked as though he had the breath knocked out of him— "and he needed someone to talk to. One thing lead to another and… Well, it was just an indiscretion. It never happened again."

"Did Dad know?"

"Yes, he did." The way she tilted her chin upwards was almost identical to the way Thea used the same gesture.

"Dad knew? And you never once thought to tell me?" Thea cried, stepping away from Felicity's embrace.

"I didn't see any reason to tarnish your memories of your father. You two were always so close…"

"You mean tarnish my thoughts about _you_, don't you? That's what this is about. You knew I'd be mad you hid this from me and were afraid."

His mother nodded slowly. "Yes, I was afraid of your reaction. Thea, I was only trying to protect you—"

"You were trying to protect yourself!" She stood in place, shaking with rage and Felicity rubbed her shoulder as Roy stepped up to her and enfolded her in a hug. She stepped back and looked at Oliver, her expression concerned. He held a hand out and she took it. He pulled her to him, needing her closeness.

Oliver felt the weight in his stomach churn with the dinner they'd been eating. Malcolm was Thea's father. She was his _half-_sister. And Tommy's half-sister as well. He met his friend's eyes over the table and saw he looked as shaken as he felt.

"Are you happy now? Now she won't speak to either of us!" his mother shouted at Malcolm.

"Thea will calm down. She'll get used to the knowledge. She needed to be told, Moira."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," Thea growled, her voice muffled by Roy's shoulder.

"What about me?" Tommy asked. It was the first thing he'd said since his father had arrived and everyone looked surprised at the sound of his voice.

"Excuse me?" Malcolm looked slightly confused.

"What about me? Didn't I need to be told?" His friend's eyes were blazing with anger as he glared at his father.

"I was going to tell you, Tommy. But you took off for the Queen's cabin rather than suffer a holiday alone with me." The accusation was apparent in Malcolm's tone.

"Don't put this back on me," Tommy said, getting to his feet. "Just because I didn't want to spend my holiday either alone while you were shut away in your office downtown or hearing about all the many ways in which I disappoint you as a son, doesn't mean that I—"

Malcolm held up a finger. "You could have told me in person rather than leaving a note with my secretary."

"At least then I was sure that you would get the message!"

Oliver shared a look with Felicity and saw her jaw was hanging open. He felt a stabbing of regret that her holiday was being ruined like this. He wished so much that he could take her away from this.

Thea let go of Roy, but stood next to him. He watched her, concerned. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest. "Looking at both of you right now makes me sick. I cannot believe you never were planning to tell me this, Mother. And you—" She glared at Malcolm— "I don't for an instant think you care one bit about my feelings in all of this or you wouldn't have ruined my Christmas this way. I feel like I'm some pawn in your chess game and I'm not here for that." She leveled her glare in turn at both Moira and Malcolm.

"Can we all just simmer down and maybe talk this out?" Walter asked, his voice loud and smooth and cutting perfectly through the silence. "We could have our pie and discuss this like civilized adults."

Bad things happen in threes, that was an old saying that Oliver never seemed to remember whenever it could do him any good. He was reminded about it when the front door banged open and the sound of heels clicking on the wood of the entry hall carried into the dining room. Oliver heard Tommy mutter, "Oh, shit," a moment before Laurel Lance walked into the dining room.

Her eyes skated over Tommy before fixing on Oliver. He was aware of Felicity moving closer to him, knew she was just behind his shoulder, watching the other woman as she rapidly approached.

"Laurel, what are you doing here?"

"Tommy told me you were here with _her,_" she said, cutting her gaze to Felicity. "I needed to come see for myself. I didn't quite believe his story."

"Jesus, Laurel!" Tommy cried. "I told you she was here with him, not with me!"

Oliver blinked a few times. "Wait… you've been talking to Tommy?" he asked.

Thea rolled her eyes and snorted. "Oh, come on, Ollie. Tell me you're not this dense."

It seemed the entire dining room held their breath. Oliver looked questioningly at Thea, not liking the knowing smirk on her face. She was hurting, she could say anything right now to make someone else hurt too. But he also knew his sister and she wasn't a liar.

"What is it, Thea?" he asked. "What do you know?"

"They're sleeping together! They have been since you and Laurel broke up last summer. And he's been in love with her for ages!"

"Thea!" Tommy exclaimed, looking shocked and hurt. "You promised you wouldn't tell anyone that!"

She shrugged, but looked down. "I'm sorry, Tommy. I'm just tired of all the _secrets_ around here. I saw them at the club and confronted them. They made me promise not to tell you."

Oliver couldn't believe what he was hearing. Tommy was in love with Laurel? They'd been sleeping together? Suddenly, all the times Tommy had tried to talk him out of getting back together with Laurel became startlingly clear in his mind. A laugh burbled up from his throat.

Felicity touched his arm, stepping even closer. "Oliver?"

He shook his head, chuckling harder now. "Oh… it's just perfect. I mean… how could I not have seen this?"

"Oliver, don't listen to Thea." Laurel stepped up to him and placed a hand on his other arm. The hysteria rose in him again and he turned his attention on his best friend.

"You knew I wanted to get back together with her and you were sleeping with her the whole time? What the hell kind of friend does that?"

Tommy looked uncomfortable as he shifted his weight. "Thea's right. I've been in love with Laurel for years. I didn't want to hurt you, Ollie, but… I love her."

Oliver couldn't believe it. "Why didn't you say anything when I asked Felicity to come up here?"

"Tommy told me you only brought Felicity because I turned you down," Laurel reminded him. That cut through his mania sure enough. His laughter stopped abruptly and he gaped at Laurel. "When Tommy said she was up here, at first I thought he'd brought her here as his date. Then, I remembered you came to me last week and practically begged me to get back together with you."

Oliver cringed. He didn't have the heart to turn his head and see what Felicity's reaction was. Everyone else looked shocked, including his mother.

"Wait, you're _not_ together with Felicity?" Thea asked incredulously.

"But you proposed!" Roy reminded everyone needlessly.

Laurel paused at that, her eyes sharpening, but then she continued. "When Tommy told me that you needed someone to bring to his holiday vacation with your family, I realized you'd hoped to bring me but when I turned you down, you went to her."

Felicity's fingers tightened on his arm. She knew this part, more or less, but was she bothered by the reminder?

Oliver cleared his throat. "Laurel, what's your point? Why are you here?"

"I'm here because you told me to tell you if I changed my mind. I know you just asked her because you're desperate about the will."

"What…? Laurel…" Oliver could feel Felicity stiffen before she released his arm, stepping away from him. Panic welled in his chest.

"I'm talking about you and I. Getting back together." She paused and took a deep breath. "I've changed my mind. I want to give us another try."

Oliver pulled Laurel into the study located off the living room so they could talk without everyone else staring at them. Truthfully, he didn't want Felicity to have to hear anymore. Her pained gasp at Laurel's declaration had been bad enough. The way she'd moved away from him continued to eat at him. What he really wanted to do was go someplace private with _her_ and explain everything.

Tommy followed them in and stood before the partially closed door with his arms folded.

"Tommy, let me and Oliver talk alone," Laurel said sharply.

"Not a chance. I have a vested interest in this," he replied.

"Laurel, you're not making any sense, driving up here on Christmas and telling me all this. It couldn't have waited?"

"Waited for what! Listen, Sara did your bidding and she talked you up the last few days. What she was saying started to make some sense. I was feeling conflicted about my feelings about Tommy, but when Sara reminded me of all the history we had, I realized I'd be stupid to turn my back on that," she explained.

Oh god, his whole plan had just bitten him in the butt.

Oliver hated leaving Felicity out there with his family, especially with the way they'd all looked at them both in the aftermath of the revelation that he and Felicity had not actually been dating after all. But he had to deal with Laurel and get her out of here before any more damage was caused.

"Laurel… I wish you'd tried to call before coming up here," he said, stepping back when she tried to reach for him.

Her forehead creased. "Ollie? What are you talking about? I thought you'd be thrilled!"

He rubbed at the back of his neck. How did he explain that his entirely universe had changed the last few days?

"Listen, I heard what Roy said out there, that you proposed to Felicity," she mentioned. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tommy cringe.

"Yes, I did."

"I know you only did that just because you're trying to keep up this appearance for your family, for your mom. I know you're feeling the pressure from the will."

Now it was his turn to cringe. "Laurel…"

"Listen, I don't mind that! I know you're under a deadline. You have to get married by your birthday or you lose your cut of the inheritance. I get that. I also get that the only reason you proposed to Felicity today was to get your mother off your back and give yourself more time to get back with me."

Oliver was fermenting a massive headache. "That's not—" He cut himself off and looked to Tommy, who looked positively miserable. "What about Tommy? You've been sleeping with him?"

Laurel flushed a little. "I was just upset about what was happening with you. I was hurt and looking for a little payback."

"You're lying," Tommy said quietly. When they both looked to him, he lifted his chin. "Laurel, I know you're scared. You weren't expecting to feel with me what you did, but I _know_ you felt it. It's what I've been feeling for you since high school."

Oliver's jaw fell open. "Since _high school_? Jesus, Tommy! Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Are you kidding? You would have beat me up! Or never spoken to me again. You've been my best friend all my life, Oliver. I didn't want to lose that. And if you were truly happy together, I didn't want to get in the way of that. But you guys— you just kept… breaking up and getting back together and it was horrible to watch."

"Tommy…" Laurel said, her voice softened.

"You're toxic for each other. I could see that. And I love you both, though not in the same way. Sorry, Oliver." Tommy winked and Oliver had to smile at his friend's ability to be playful in the midst of such an intense conversation. "You weren't making each other happy. I hated seeing that."

"Tommy, I thought best friends were supposed to tell each other everything. I'm hurt that you held this back from me," Oliver said. He took a breath and nodded. "But you're also right. I never really stopped to look at it, I always just expected Laurel and I were meant to end up together no matter what."

He looked to Laurel who was looking at Tommy. "Laurel. Do you have feelings for him? Please tell me if you do."

She blinked rapidly and he could see the tears gathering. "I— I was so angry at Tommy, for sleeping with me, for loving me when I was in love with you, and…"

"And?"

"And most of all for making me feel things. I tried to ignore it, I tried to tell myself what was happening was casual but you know how Tommy is. He's persistent."

Tommy grinned at that and he approached Laurel carefully. He reached for her hands and she let him take them. "Why did you come here to tell Oliver you would marry him? If you were feeling these things, why did you do it?"

"Because— Sara was after me the last few days to reconcile with Ollie and I worried that if what you'd said the last time we spoke was true, that maybe your feelings had changed towards me," she finally admitted.

"What did he say?" Oliver wanted to know.

Tommy sighed. "I was frustrated. Everything had been going great, or so I thought, and she didn't seem interested in starting back up with you but the last few weeks she stopped seeing me too. And I guess… I got jealous. I worried that she was headed back to you, Oliver, and that made me frustrated and angry and… I gave her an ultimatum when we spoke on the phone last night. That if she didn't want to make a go of things with me, then I was done."

"Are you? Are you done?" Oliver asked gently.

He shook his head. "I don't think I _can_ be done. Not with the way I feel about her." Tommy lifted his eyes to Laurel.

All that left was how _Laurel_ felt. "And you, Laurel?" Oliver asked her, feeling distinctly like a relationship counselor.

Her eyes dropped from Oliver's and she lifted them to meet Tommy's. "I was so sure it was just sex…"

Oliver fought a visceral reaction to that. He might not be in love with her, not anymore but, holy shit. How the tables had turned!

"And now?" Tommy prompted.

Laurel hesitated and Oliver decided to let her off the hook. "Laurel," he started, stepping forward. "I loved you for what felt like half my life. And it _was_ love. You were my first love. But… I recently discovered that I'm not in love with you anymore."

She looked at him again, her eyes wide and surprised. "Ollie?"

"Its Felicity. I've known her for two years now and she became one of my best friends. I guess I'm not surprised that it took me only two days to realize I'm in love with her."

Laurel's mouth fell open. "Felicity? Seriously?" She looked to Tommy who nodded.

"I thought he was developing feelings for her a while ago, actually. I'd meet them both for lunch now and then and I'd see little hints. And then when we came up here for the holiday… What I saw confirmed it."

"So when you proposed…" She trailed off, her mouth continuing to work as though she was searching for the words.

"I did that because my mother essentially forced me into it. She'd passed off to me a ring from the Queen family vault and then put me on the spot this morning," he finished for her. "But it got me thinking and I think I would like to marry Felicity. And I think she'd like to marry me too."

Laurel was staring at him and Tommy was smiling softly. He knew it was a shock for her. He'd gone from practically begging her to give him a chance to being in love with someone else. From the outside looking in, it had to be ridiculous. And he did feel a bit ridiculous but that didn't mean the squeezing in his heard he felt when he was with Felicity wasn't real.

Laurel's expression softened and she actually smiled. "Well, if that's true then, I'm happy for you, Ollie. You deserve to have someone to love you."

"Thank you, Laurel. Now, do you intend to keep Tommy hanging?" He nodded his head towards his best friend.

"Do you mind giving us a moment?" Laurel asked, turning her attention to Tommy.

Oliver knew when he was a third wheel. It was just a little strange yet to be a third wheel when it was Tommy and Laurel. But he found that he didn't mind it near as much as he would have a week ago. What a relief _that_ was.

Now, he thought as he walked from the study, he just needed to find Felicity. No one was in the living room or the dining room. He walked into the kitchen to see his mother and Walter sitting at the nook table in there, sipping cups of tea. They both looked up as he entered. He looked around but didn't see Felicity there either. Maybe she was in the room.

"Have you guys seen Felicity?" he asked.

His mother put her cup down and stood up. "Oliver, why on earth did you think you had to lie to us about Felicity?"

Oliver swallowed a frustrated groan. "You told me I had to bring a girlfriend or you'd set me up with Helena Bertinelli."

One of her eyebrows arched elegantly. "And you automatically thought that meant you had to fabricate a relationship?"

"Yes. I mean, no! Mother… Felicity is a good friend of mine. Everything I told you about her is true. Well, other than the fact that she's Jewish. But… I thought she was just a friend and I was wrong. Bringing her up here, I realized that I am in love with her."

Moira's expression softened and she reached out to pat his cheek affectionately. "Darling, I know that."

Oliver blinked. "What? Know what?"

"That your relationship with Felicity was a ruse. Darling, I know everything that goes on at QC, even if I don't go into the office every day like I used to. I knew you two were friends, but not dating. When you first brought her here, I was skeptical. I thought maybe she was a gold-digger, clinging on for a chance at your fortune. But then I saw how you two were with each other and, Oliver, honey, it was plain as day. I saw the way you looked at each other. I know what love looks like."

Oliver didn't know what to say. His mouth hung open and he looked to Walter, who still sat at the table. The other man's eyes danced with mirth as he sipped at his tea. Jesus. Would his mother ever cease to surprise him?

"Do you know where she is?" he asked again.

Moira and Walter both exchanged a look. Then, his step-father cleared his throat. Never a good sign. "You just missed her, actually."

Oliver's stomach dropped to somewhere around his feet. "What?! Where? Why didn't you tell me before? Where'd she go?"

"Thea and Roy left and she asked them to give her a ride home," Moira explained, looking genuinely apologetic.

Without another word, Oliver tore from the kitchen and took the stairs two at a time in his hurry to get up to their room. He threw open the door and found… nothing. The room was empty. He rushed into the closet and found her things, which had been hanging, missing. Her suitcase was gone as well. Had he been talking to Laurel long enough for her to pack and go? Judging from the way the hangers were askew, she was likely in a hurry.

A lump lodged itself in his throat. If she'd left, she had to be upset with him. His hopes for a night alone with her vanished. His hopes for a _life_ with her were slowly fading. Oliver couldn't bear it. No, he'd had a taste of what that life would be like with her and he could not and would not let it go.

He grabbed his own suitcase and threw the lid open. Haphazardly he began to shove his things inside, taking very little care. Oliver checked out in the room to see if he was forgetting anything and saw the engagement ring sitting on the bedside table. His breath caught in his throat as he stilled and picked it up. The metal was already cool. He pictured her taking the ring off and the vision made his heart lurch inside his chest. Felicity had to be hurting. He had to get back to town and try to see her. If he could see her, he could explain. She would listen. She _had_ to listen. He couldn't lose her now, when he'd just found her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: WOW, the reactions to my chapter yesterday were extremely varied! Everything from outright dislike for the direction the story went to downright glee. You guys are certainly an eclectic lot! :) That's a fine compliment from me, by the way. I hope you enjoy this one, I apologize for no easing to the angst quite yet. And there is no update tomorrow but I will have chapter 13 up on Sunday! (Please don't throw things at me!)**

In the aftermath of Laurel's arrival, Felicity found herself feeling shaken and unsure. She'd never before seen a perfectly content dinner go downhill so fast. First with the bickering between Thea and Moira and then with Malcolm's arrival and his bombshell… Then Laurel showed up and that's when things went completely sideways.

Everyone knew now that it was all a ruse and she was afraid to meet anyone's eyes. Oliver had said he would be there, if the truth got out, that he would take care of it. But he was shut away in the study with Tommy and Laurel and she was left out here feeling exposed and out of place.

Oliver loved her, he'd told her that he did. He was feeling the same things she'd been feeling the last couple of days, she was sure of it. She hadn't been alone in this headlong fall into bliss. Surely, all she had to do was wait for him to explain the situation to Laurel and then he'd be right out and with her once more.

Oliver's family gave her room and she didn't know if that was a good sign or a bad. She couldn't bear to meet Moira's eyes. Or Walter's. Thea and Roy had escaped upstairs and Malcolm had left, at Moira's stern urging. Now, Felicity paced in the living room, nearby the door to the study which sat ajar. It might be a bit clingy of her to want him back at her side, but she couldn't help herself. The evening had been rattling to say the least and surely she was just feeling the effects of that.

Biting her lip, she paused her pacing outside the door. She could hear raised voices inside. Certainly, she didn't mean to listen but the voices sounded loud and clear and before she could check herself, she was listening to what she could hear. Laurel was speaking and when Felicity caught the mention of her name and the word "proposed", curiosity got the better of her and she leaned closer to the door in order to hear better.

"I know you're under a deadline," Laurel was saying. "You have to get married by your birthday or you lose your cut of the inheritance. I get that. I also get that the only reason you proposed to Felicity today was to get your mother off your back and give yourself more time to get back with me."

Not wanting to hear more and feeling the burning sting of those words, Felicity quickly stepped away from the door. Her heart was slamming away inside her chest. She'd known that the proposal was part of the ruse, at least initially. Oliver hadn't been planning on doing that.

Or had he? Deadline? Inheritance? Did she hear some mention of a will before as well? Her head swam with possible scenarios and she couldn't avoid the most likely one of all. Perhaps Oliver had brought her up here, wooed her and proposed to her because he'd wanted to access this inheritance of his and for no other reason. Didn't that make much more logical sense than the unlikely event where the man she'd been falling in love with for two years suddenly had the same feelings about her?

Felicity pushed that negative voice aside, even as she was already headed up the stairs to the room she was sharing with Oliver. She pushed in the door and her eyes fell immediately on the bed. The bed, where they'd writhed together in pleasure just hours earlier. The bed, where she'd been hoping to take things further with him tonight. It looked like _that_ wasn't going to be happening. She wasn't going to stick around and be some sort of pity case. Or worse, taken advantage of.

As Felicity began to pull her things from the closet and stuff them in her suitcase, the tears began to fall. She didn't want to believe Oliver's feelings hadn't been genuine but that mean little voice inside her head was getting louder and louder, preying upon each one of her insecurities.

Because, evil voice aside, Felicity knew that even if he'd been falling for her the last few days, Laurel was here now. Gorgeous Laurel who Oliver had been hoping to get back together with just days ago. Hadn't she overheard that conversation on their first day here where he'd told her voicemail that he still wanted her to forgive him and take him back?

She hadn't talked about Laurel with him very much, so she didn't really know where Oliver stood with her. There was no reason for her to assume that, given a chance to be with Laurel, he wouldn't jump at it. Felicity couldn't very well blame him for that, could she?

Sniffling, she zipped up her suitcase. Actually, yes she could. Her heart was hurting and she had every right to feel this way. She yanked on her suitcase, pulling it to the floor and out of the closet. On her way out of the room, she paused and looked down at her hand, at the ring that still sat upon her finger. She could feel her chin trembling as she set the suitcase aside and reached for the ring, sliding it from her finger. She looked at it for a long moment, said a private goodbye to what could have been, and placed it on the bedside table.

Then, she picked up the handle of her suitcase and pulled it after her as she walked out of the room. Thea and Roy were just coming out of their room at the end of the hall, suitcases also in tow. They looked surprised to see her and exchanged a look between them.

"Felicity, you guys are leaving too?" Thea asked.

"_I'm _leaving, yes." She knew her reddened, puffy eyes gave away her emotional state. Felicity hadn't even given real thought to how she'd leave, since she didn't have a car up here. Perhaps sh could call for a cab. Did cabs come all the way up here? Roy's expression softened and he reached out to take her suitcase from her.

"Here, we can give you a ride. Thea wants to go too."

She smiled gratefully at the both of them. "Thanks. I just— Yeah, I need to go."

Thea reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. Her eyes looked a bit puffy too. "I completely understand. Come on, maybe we can stop for pie on the way home since we were so rudely cheated out of that tonight. I know a great diner halfway down the mountain."

Felicity felt so grateful she nearly burst into tears. Instead, she focused on getting downstairs and out the front door before she got cornered into another emotional scene. She didn't know if she could take it tonight, on top of everything else.

Was she running away? Yeah, a little bit. But what was that one saying? Run away today so you can live to fight tomorrow? It was self preservation. She was already cracking around the edges; she didn't want to shatter completely. Not with an audience, at any rate. If she was going to shatter, she'd prefer to do it at home, alone in the comfort and safety of her own bed.

Thea's SUV was parked outside and after the suitcases were stowed, everyone buckled in and Roy drove them away from the cabin. Felicity didn't even look back out the window as the lights faded behind them. She just rested her forehead against the window and breathed a sigh of relief. They hadn't had to say goodbye to anyone else and she was so glad for that. There'd just been a flash of Moira and Walter's startled faces as they'd hurried past them out the door and then they were gone.

Everyone was quiet as they drove down the mountain, lost in their own heads. Felicity knew that Thea had her own issues to deal with and in a normal situation, her heart would have gone out to the girl. But her own heart was breaking and she didn't have it in her in that moment to handle anything else.

They ended up stopping for pie at the same diner she'd had lunch with Oliver at just a few days ago. Felicity was rather impressed that it was open on Christmas night. The diner wasn't much but it was warm and relatively empty and the pie tasted amazing. Maybe that's what she needed; lots and lots of dessert.

The three of them talked as they ate, but no one brought up any sensitive subjects. Those subjects included: Christmas, parents and Oliver. Thea and Roy told her about the trip they planned to take to Aspen over New Years and she found herself wishing that she had something amazing to look forward to right now. For all she knew, Walter's offer of an interview for the Applied Sciences position was off the table. All she had was an empty townhouse, a DVR full of shows to catch up on, and a freezer full of ice cream.

Then again, that didn't sound so bad after all.

They didn't stay long and were soon back in the SUV, heading home. There was more conversation now, still sticking to safe topics. Felicity was surprised that neither of them asked her about the whole "posing as Oliver's girlfriend" thing, but that seemed to be related closely enough the tabboo topics that they gave it a wide berth. That was probably for the best, Felicity wasn't sure she was quite ready to deal with questions just yet.

It was after ten o'clock at night when Roy pulled up out in front of Felicity's townhouse. She stopped them before either could get out of the car to get her suitcase.

"Thanks for the ride, you guys," she told them, stopping by Thea's window after she retrieved her things. "I really appreciate it."

Thea's smile was sympathetic. "Glad we could give you a lift. Call me if you need anything."

She knew she wouldn't. "Okay. Thanks, Thea. You take it easy too. Enjoy your trip."

Felicity watched them drive away with a bit of a pang in her chest. She'd been looking forward to having them as friends, Thea especially. She didn't have very many friends that were girls and while she and Thea had painfully little in common, they got along well despite it. The girl made her laugh.

Neither of them were laughing tonight.

Sighing, Felicity turned and pulled her suitcase up the steps towards her apartment door. The door was in a nook, shielded from the street which offered her a bit of privacy. That was the only reason that she didn't notice Oliver sitting there until she was nearly on top of him.

Felicity froze, suitcase handle still in hand, gaping at him. He was sitting with his back against her front door. He had his knees up, his elbows resting on them, twirling something glittery between his fingers. It was her ring. He quickly scrambled to his feet when he saw her. She saw him slip the ring into his pocket.

"Felicity," he breathed, wiping his hands on his trousers. He still wore the suit he'd put on for dinner, just like she still wore her dress. She hadn't wanted to take the time to change.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, startled. She clutched her suitcase handle, stepping back away from him.

"Why did you leave?"

"I asked you first. How did you get here before me?"

"I came looking for you and my mother and Walter said you'd just left with Roy and Thea. I threw my things in the suitcase and left right away."

Ah. Stopping for pie had put him ahead of them, apparently. Felicity looked down at her feet. "I left because I heard what Laurel said to you."

"What do you mean? Felicity, look at me, please."

She looked up and found Oliver with an almost desperate expression on his face. "Oliver, I don't want to talk about this right now. I just want to go inside my apartment and shut out the world."

"What did you hear?"

"Something about an inheritance and a will and marriage." She shrugged, dropping her eyes from his. "Made some things come clear, actually."

"Felicity, that's not—"

She held up a hand. "Please. I'm really not interested in talking about this right now."

Oliver shifted his weight, shoving his hands into his pockets. They were quiet for a minute. "Will you let me explain?" He sounded so lost, so small that she almost wanted to reach out and embrace him. But she didn't.

"Not tonight. I'm not ready to hear you tonight, Oliver."

She was virtually certain what he wanted to tell her was that he'd changed his mind. Laurel was ready to take him back so he wanted to be with her instead. That, on top of everything else tonight, was just not something she was ready to hear. Maybe after she'd had a couple days to steel her heart.

"Will you promise me, Felicity? Promise me that you'll let me explain."

"Oliver…"

"Promise or I won't leave."

"That sounds like a threat."

"It is."

They were faced off, standing on her doorstep late at night. Christmas lights from the other apartments twinkled in the frigid night air. Their breaths made cloudy puffs in the air between them. Oliver took his hands out of his pockets and lifted them, moving towards her. Felicity stepped back, not wanting to let him touch her just then. Hurt flashed over his features before he dropped his hands and stepped back.

"I'm sorry. I just— Please? Promise me?"

She wasn't sure why he was so keen to talk to her; she would have thought he'd welcome a chance to run back to Laurel without any extra fallout. Hadn't he even said, last week, that he was asking her to pose as his girlfriend because she wouldn't expect anything afterwards? This should be exactly what he wanted. But if it would get him off of her porch…

"Sure. I promise."

Oliver watched her, his expression doubtful for a moment. Then he sighed and stepped around her. She was quick to hurry to her door, digging her keys out of her purse and fitting them into the lock.

"I'll talk to you soon, Felicity," he told her.

"Goodbye, Oliver," she replied, not meeting his eyes again before she shut the door behind her. She sagged back against the door, letting her suitcase clatter to the floor beside her. Tears stung at the backs of her eyes and she blinked them back. She doubted very much she'd ever see Oliver Queen again, except in passing.

Oliver let himself into his apartment and tossed his keys into the tray on the table next to the door. The space was quiet, empty, dark. Lonely. The sparse and spacious layout was something he generally liked, but tonight he found it cold and lifeless. There was no color here, no warmth. Definitely no Felicity. And that was the biggest problem.

He didn't bother turning on any lights as he headed to his bedroom with his suitcase. He left it on top of his dresser, not interested in unpacking at the moment even if it meant his shirts and trousers were likely getting wrinkled. Let 'em wrinkle.

He flopped onto his bed and stared at the white, blank ceiling. He replayed what had happened with Felicity at her townhouse again and again in his head.

He couldn't get the look on her face out of his mind. She'd been closed off, obviously feeling hurt. She wouldn't let him talk to her, wouldn't even let him _touch_ her. He could see that she was protecting herself, but from what?

She mentioned overhearing what Laurel had said about the inheritance. Oliver knew how that sounded, the implications left unsaid, but that was something he could easily explain to her. There was something else bothering her and he had no idea what it was. Why did she seem to think that he would run back to Laurel now? After everything they'd done together and what they'd come to mean to each other, did she honestly expect him to just drop her?

He felt like such a fool. If only he'd told her about the will beforehand. If only he had spoken to Felicity before talking with Laurel. If only he'd known she was listening at the door. If only he'd been a little quicker and had caught her before she'd left. If she thought he was still in love with Laurel, that was his fault. He hadn't made his feelings clear enough. No wonder she felt insecure about it.

He wished she'd let him explain tonight. Oliver was certain he could have fixed the whole thing. But he wasn't going to push because he could see she was just holding on by a very thin thread. The last thing he wanted was to cause her more pain. He wanted to give her everything she wanted and right now she wanted some space. While it went against every single one of his instincts, he had to let her have this. For now.

But he wouldn't be giving up on her. She'd promised she would talk to him later and he intended to hold her to that. He'd call, text, email… he'd show up at her office, he'd show up at her home… whatever it took. He wasn't going to give her up because it had taken him too damn long to find the perfect woman for him. Letting her go was not an option.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Thank you all for being patient yesterday with there being no posting. You guys have been amazing. Here we go, the lead in for the finale... Truthfully, there's really only 14 chapters + an epilogue. The epilogue isn't very long. I will be posting that on Christmas Eve (not entirely sure how I will manage it since I won't be at home and wont' have my laptop with me and technically I haven't even finished writing the epilogue yet as I hadn't originally planned for there to BE an epilogue... but details, details). I hope you will be happy with this chapter. The next one is a real treat. That will go up tomorrow. Happy Holidays, everyone! **

It was Sunday evening, three days after that disastrous night at the Queen Cabin. Felicity was in her comfiest pair of fluffy pajama pants, a ratty tank top with holes in it and an even rattier fluffy pink bathrobe. Her hair was piled in a messy bun on top of her head, her glasses perched on her nose, not a stitch of makeup on her face and she hadn't even seen a shower since yesterday morning.

Considering that she had to emerge from her comfy cave tomorrow after nearly a whole week off of work, she was just taking advantage of her last few hours of personal time. Friday had been included in her vacation time so why not take advantage of the rare time off and wallow in peace?

Not that she was wallowing.

She was just catching up on her television, binging a few new shows on Netflix, eating all the nut-free fudge one of her coworkers had given her for Hanukkah… You know. Vacation stuff.

If she'd burst into tears while watching the season 2 finale of Doctor Who or while watching "Pride and Prejudice" for the 27th time, well then, that was just a coincidence.

The knock at her door was unexpected, but she suspected it was her meddling neighbor, wanting to know if she wanted some of their leftover turkey scraps or if she'd seen her cat. She was surprised, therefore, to open the door and find Thea Queen standing on her welcome mat holding her designer purse and wearing a fabulous wool coat.

"Thea! What—?"

The young woman just grinned at her and waltzed on by her and into Felicity's apartment. "Hello, Felicity." Her eyes traveled down to Felicity's rabbit slipper wearing feet and back up again. "Love the look you're rocking there. It makes a very definite statement."

"Yeah, that statement was, 'I was not expecting visitors'." Felicity mumbled, shutting the door.

"Expecting or not, you've got one." Thea peeled off her coat, hung it on the hook next to the door next to Felicity's coat, set her purse down on the end table and then plopped down on Felicity's sofa. She looked around. "I do love your place though. Those paintings are fantastic and I love the open space."

"Thanks." Felicity walked over and sat at the other end of the sofa. "Thea, what are you doing here?"

"Well, as you know, Roy and I are supposed to leave for Aspen. Tomorrow, in fact. But I couldn't go without trying to do something because my brother is worrying me. He might only be my half brother now—" she made a face— "but he's still my brother and I love him. Now, I come here and I see you and I know I was right to barge in. You look almost as bad as he does."

A riot of butterflies broke out in Felicity's belly at the mention of Oliver. "He looks bad? Really?" The notion actually gave her a pang.

"How can you doubt it? Haven't you been getting his calls and texts?"

Sheepish, Felicity picked at the fuzz on her pajama pants. "I've been ignoring them."

Thea rolled her eyes and flopped back against the cushions. "Get one of those bottles of wine I gave you for Christmas. We're going to need it."

That suddenly sounded like the best idea she'd heard in days. Felicity launched herself off the sofa and padded into the kitchen, locating one of the bottles in the wine rack she had set up next to the fridge. Using the fancy bottle opener she'd gotten as a gift from her mother when she'd first gotten the job at Queen Consolidated, she opened up the wine.

"I'm not going to let it breathe, I'm just going to pour it. Is that okay?" she called out to Thea.

"Oh my god. Just bring me some wine, blondie."

Felicity chuckled as she pulled down some wine glasses and poured them each a generous portion. When she carried them out to the living room, Thea was flipping through a book on internet security that Felicity had sitting on her side table. She set it down with a thunk and accepted the wine glass.

"How can you read that?" she asked, gesturing at the book.

"It's a subject that interests me," Felicity replied with a shrug. "I got my masters degree in that subject. Well, that and computer sciences."

Thea's eyes were wide. "Well. That answers that. And now that you've brought it up, I have to ask… now I know you and Oliver were just posing as a couple, how much of what we know about you is a lie too?"

Thea's smile was placid but Felicity could detect the undercurrent of tension in her shoulders. This was a girl who'd been lied to horribly by the people closest to her in her life. Felicity didn't blame her one bit. She reached out and touched Thea's hand.

"Hey, everything I shared up there was true. That was all me. Except I usually wear my hair in a ponytail and wear these glasses. OH! And I'm Jewish."

"I knew it!" Thea cried. "I said something about that to Roy. Something about the way Oliver was acting with you on Christmas Eve made me wonder. And then he never wished you Merry Christmas the next day. I knew it!"

"So you don't mind?"

"Well. I wish you'd said something, that you didn't feel like you had to hide it, but no, I don't mind."

Felicity blew out a breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding in. "That's a relief."

"So there's nothing else you hid?"

"Nope. This is me." She gestured around her at her small but neat apartment. "Nothing to hide, really."

Thea took a long drink of her wine. "All right, now talk to me about my brother. I believe you when you say you weren't really hiding who you are. That's also why I don't think the feelings between you two were fake."

Her face heated. "I actually started to think that it wasn't."

"Wait, are you saying you think Oliver was pretending to be in love with you?"

"Well." Felicity shrugged and drank from her wine glass, hoping the vintage would soothe her jangling nerves. "Why wouldn't he? I think I was the foolish one for letting myself buy it. But Laurel wants him back now, so why would he bother with me?"

"Oh, Felicity." Thea set her wine glass down and plucked Felicity's glass from her fingers to set down as well. Then she shifted forward on the sofa and wrapped her arms around her in a hug. "I'm sorry you feel this way but… you're completely wrong."

Felicity drew back. "How do you know?"

"Oliver called me Christmas night to see how I was doing in the aftermath of everything. That's when I found out he'd come back to Starling too. I asked him about you but he didn't want to talk about it. I didn't think much of it, but when I stopped by his place Friday afternoon, well. He kinda looked like you do right now, actually."

Felicity was startled. She knew she looked like a wreck and she couldn't imagine Oliver embracing "break up chic" quite the way she had. "Did he say anything to you?"

Thea shook her head. "Not at first. He just growled at me like a grumpy bear with a thorn in his paw until I left him alone. But I was worried about him, I've never seen him like that. So I called him that night and he didn't answer. I kept trying and finally yesterday afternoon he picked up. I told him I was coming over and we were going to talk and I wasn't going to take no for an answer."

Felicity could believe this, considering the way Thea had burst into her home. Was there anyone who could say no to Thea Queen?

"That's when I got the story out of him." She paused, took a quick drink from her wine and then returned her attention to Felicity, grabbing her hands. "At first, it was just about the fake relationship. He did intend to get back together with Laurel. But he admitted that he discovered he had all these feelings for you. He didn't think you would feel the same way but then you did and… he was _happy_ about it."

"But what about Laurel?"

"He's not going back to Laurel. He told me that Tommy is in love with her and Laurel showing up at the cabin that night was mostly about her insecurity about how things stood with her and Tommy than her wanting to get back with Oliver."

Felicity's heart pounded. Could that be true? "You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

Thea shook her head, smiling. "No. Apparently, Tommy called Oliver yesterday morning and told him that he and Laurel were together, thanks to Oliver's blessing. I guess when they were talking Christmas night, Oliver laid things to rest with Laurel and stepped aside for them."

Felicity licked at her dry lips and, taking her hands from Thea, reached for her wine to take another drink. "But… if he's not with Laurel…?"

"He wants to be with _you_, Felicity. Why haven't you answered his calls or replied to his texts?"

"I just needed… time. I told him we would talk but I really thought that he'd get back with Laurel and that he would just let me go."

"So, you were protecting yourself." It wasn't a question.

Felicity blushed. "Maybe a little. I just wasn't ready to deal with any more heartbreak. I needed to have my time to mope and then I'd be ready to face him."

"Hey, I can understand that. But I got to tell you, it's been driving Oliver absolutely _crazy._"

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah." Thea's eyes rolled. "He quizzed me for a good twenty minutes about why I thought you weren't replying to him. Poor guy was practically tearing his hair out."

Felicity gnawed on her lip a little as she thought. If Thea was to be believed, Oliver was in as bad a shape as she was. The thought of him being as miserable as she'd been made her chest ache. As upset as she'd been, she would never wish that on him. She lifted her eyes to see Thea watching her, an amused glint in her hazel eyes.

"What should I do?" she asked the younger woman.

"I think you and I should finish off this bottle of wine and have some girl talk and then I'll call Roy to come pick me up. Then in the morning, you're going to get up, get showered, and go to work. And you're going give my brother a chance to explain himself to you."

Felicity couldn't help but smile. Thea made it all sound so simple. For a moment, she believed may it actually_ could_ be simple.

"I say that sounds like a great plan." She clinked her wine glass against Thea's and they both took a long drink.

The next morning, after she cleared her desk of pressing issues, Felicity gathered her courage and headed towards the executive elevators.

She had a slight headache, leftover from the wine the night before. But it was worth every ache and throb. Thea had stayed until nearly midnight. They'd finished that bottle of wine and then Felicity had gotten out another from her own stash for them to split. She'd asked Thea about how she was doing, now that she knew Tommy's father was her father too.

Thea admitted at first she'd been so shocked she hadn't known how to react. Mostly, she'd been angry that her mom and Walter had known and had no plans to ever tell her. She still didn't think that was fair and would likely remain a sore spot between her and her mother for a while. She just wasn't ready to let it go yet. Also, she wasn't sure what to think about having Malcolm Merlyn as a father. She'd loved her dad; they'd had a special relationship and now she worried that all those memories were tainted.

Felicity pointed out that nothing could change those memories, that obviously Robert Queen had loved her like she was his own child and nothing could take that away. She also pointed out that Thea didn't have to have the same sort of relationship with Malcolm if she didn't want to. In fact, she didn't have to have any relationship with him. It was all up to her.

That seemed to relax her a bit and they spent the rest of the evening watching a cheesy romance on Felicity's AppleTV and giggling together. It felt good to have someone to hang out with and Felicity was so glad that she hadn't lost Thea as a friend as she'd feared she would.

So, she had woken up with a headache, despite taking some aspirin and drinking a whole glass of water before bed. But rather than the weighty depression she'd felt since coming home from the cabin, Felicity felt the thrill of purpose. A shower energized her, and her coffee energized her even more. She styled her hair nicely, used a careful hand with her makeup and picked out one of her prettiest work dresses to wear.

Of course, now, as she rode up in the elevator towards the CEO's office, she was starting to lose her nerve. What if Oliver was angry with her for ignoring his calls and texts? What if he was too busy to speak with her? She was on enough eggshells as it was, now worried that her talks with Walter about joining Applied Sciences would amount to nothing in light of her and Oliver's deception. Apparently, insecurity was the word of the moment and she twisted her fingers together as the elevator finally came to a halt and opened up to let her off.

She clenched her fists at her side and move through the glass doors to the anterior office where Oliver's Executive Assistant sat. Felicity had dealt with Mrs. DeWinter before, arranging lunches with Oliver and relaying messages over the course of their friendship. So the older woman looked up and smiled warmly as she saw her approach.

"Felicity! Good to see you, dear, are you here to drag Mr. Queen off to lunch?" she asked.

Felicity looked through the glass walls that separated this room from Oliver's office. She saw him at his desk, piles of papers around him, his eyes on his computer monitor. His shoulders were slumped, his eyes looked tired. Her heart went out to him immediately. Yes, it was good that she was making this move.

"Not exactly. Well, maybe. Can you see if he has time to speak to me?"

"Sure thing, sweetie. Let me just give him a buzz."

Felicity stood off to the side while Mrs. DeWinter picked up the phone and called into Oliver's office. He picked up the receiver distractedly. "Mr. Queen? Ms. Smoak is here and would like to know if you have some time right now. Shall I send her in?"

Oliver's head snapped up and they made eye contact through the glass. He looked stunned and just simply stared for a good minute until Mrs. DeWinter prompted him again. "Mr. Queen?"

Felicity couldn't hear what Oliver's reply was but he spoke quickly into the phone, never taking his eyes off of her. Mrs. DeWinter hung up the phone and smiled at her again. "Go on in; he sounds eager to speak to you. I'll be taking my coffee break now," she said as she got up, grabbed her purse and swept out of the room.

Felicity swallowed and took a deep breath before walking towards Oliver's office, opening the heavy door. He was already standing up behind his desk, his fingers just barely touching the surface. He held himself awkwardly, watching her every moment as she crossed the room towards him.

Felicity stopped right before his desk. "Hi, Oliver."

"Felicity." Her name left his mouth on a gasp. "I— I didn't think I'd see you. I called…"

"I know. Oliver, I'm sorry I ignored your calls and texts."

He blinked. "That's fine. I mean, I understand you probably needed a few days and I shouldn't have pushed but I just wanted—"

"Thea came to see me," she blurted.

"Oh. She did? Why? When?"

"Last night. She was concerned about you."

Something behind Oliver's eyes shuttered. "Oh," he said again. "So you just came to check up on me?"

Oh dear, she was going about this all wrong. "No! No, that's… that's not why I'm here."

"Then why are you here?" He looked so cautious. He still held himself stiffly on the other side of the desk, his back straight, shoulders rigid.

Felicity licked her lips nervously. "I wanted to see you. You said you wanted to talk?" She hadn't meant it to come out like a question but her heart was racing and she just knew her palms were sweating.

His shoulders relaxed a touch. "Yes, I did. Are you… Will you listen to my explanation now?" He no longer looked quite so closed off, his eyes now showed hopeful emotion.

She nodded. "Yes. I'd like that. Please, Oliver. I'm sorry for running out on Christmas. I should have stayed and talked to you."

Oliver smiled. It wasn't his full blown smile, it was just a ghost of a smile, but it was a start. "Let's go to lunch. We can talk there. Does that work?"

"Sure. You pick the place."

He ushered her from the office, his hand lightly touching her lower back as they walked into the elevator. He'd never done that before this last week, she realized. Something about the touch was comforting to her.

His town car picked them up on the street in front of the Queen Consolidated building and drove them to a nearby hotel that Felicity knew housed several of the city's most acclaimed restaurants. She balked briefly as they got out of the car.

"Oliver, I don't need something this extravagant," she said.

He turned to her with a smile, closer to his grin that she loved so much. "Yes, you do."

She blushed as he lead her to a restaurant she'd only ever heard of in the society pages of the local newspaper. All he had to do was step up to the hostess desk and the maitre 'd standing there looked up with a bright, accommodating smile.

"Mr. Queen! Lovely to see you for lunch today. Would you like your usual table?"

"Yes, please, Jason."

They were lead to a more private corner of the restaurant. The table was cozy and intimate and Felicity could picture him here with any number of dates, including Laurel. She took her seat and Oliver pushed it in for her before taking his own seat across from her.

"I see the look on your face," he said after the maitre 'd left them alone. "I know you're imagining me here with Laurel."

Her face must have given away the truth because he reached across he table and took her hand, squeezing it lightly.

"I'm not going to lie, I did bring her here. Other women as well. But I knew this would be private enough for us to talk, that's all. I promise."

That calmed her a bit and she smiled a bit sheepishly. "It's probably silly of me to focus on that."

"It's okay. I would feel the same way in your shoes."

"So…" She cleared her throat. "You're not back together with Laurel?"

He shook his head. "No. I never for a moment considered getting back together with her, Felicity. Besides, Tommy was in love with her and I thought maybe she had feelings for him too. I needed to talk to them both to find out what the story was. I'm sorry for leaving you alone while I did."

"I didn't mind that," she admitted. "I understood, at the time. But then I heard about the will…"

Oliver looked like he wanted badly to respond but their waiter arrived right then. Oliver ordered them a bottle of wine and she selected a chicken salad while he selected a steak dish. When the waiter left, he reached across the table for her other hand, now holding both above the tablecloth.

"Felicity, I promise you. I wasn't thinking about the will when I was with you."

"Can you explain to me just what the will has to do with you getting married to Laurel? Or to me?"

"Sure." Oliver looked uncomfortable as he launched into an explanation of the will his father had left behind when he'd died in the yacht accident. It was like something out of a movie, a family member demanding traditional values from beyond the grave. And the time window he was dealing with was tight, to be sure. There wasn't very much time until he turned thirty, after all. It was all very creepy, to be sure, and it did make her wonder at his sincerity. Not just with Laurel, but with her while they were up at the cabin.

"So it was all for the will? You were trying to get back with Laurel because of it? And you only asked me because you are under a deadline?" she asked, fearing his answer.

Oliver sighed. "Yes, before I asked you to join me for the holiday, I was trying to get back together with Laurel because I honestly thought she was my best shot. Not just at keeping my inheritance but at marriage. Period. I had no idea there was something more out there for me."

She blinked back the tears that threatened to gather in her eyes. "I just worried that… none of it was real. That it was still a ruse to you."

"Felicity, I'd told you how I felt. I wasn't pretending with that."

She was quiet for a moment, biting her lip. "It's just… I haven't had a great track record with people choosing _me_, wanting to stay in _my_ life. After my dad… I'm sorry, Oliver. I shouldn't have projected my issues onto you like that."

He smiled gently at her. "Sounds like a little insecurity. Hey, we're all allowed, okay? I understand."

"I just worried that you couldn't possibly love me the way I love you," she told him, her voice lowered. She looked down at the tablecloth, fighting against the tears that pressed behind her eyes.

"Hey. Look at me," he urged. She raised her eyes. "Of course I love you, Felicity. How could I not? I don't think anyone could spend more than a few hours in your presence without falling in love with you. I'm amazed I ignored those growing feelings for as long as I did."

"But how… how can you want me over Laurel? You've loved Laurel for years!" She simply couldn't get her head around this, it made no sense to her logically.

He squeezed her hands. "Felicity, I love you now and going forward. No looking back at the past. I want a future with _you._"

"And the will?" It had to be asked. She had to know if he was just pushing because of that darned clause on his inheritance.

"When I spoke with you Christmas day, I wasn't thinking about the will. I meant what I said. If you don't want to marry me, then that's fine, just as long as I can have you in my life. That's what's important to me, that's what I care about," he explained.

Felicity smiled. "Are you say you'd be willing to give up your inheritance to be with me?"

"Every single penny."

Her breath caught. Well. As far as romantic gestures went, that was a pretty good one. But she was still nervous.

"Can we… take it slow? Or at least, a little slower than we were up at the cabin?"

"Are you saying you would like me to woo you?" Oliver asked, his blue eyes twinkling at her. "I thought that's what I was doing here."

"And I thought you brought me here because it would be a quiet place to talk," she teased.

"Ahh, touché."

Their food was brought to them then, the wine poured and the pepper ground over their plates. When they were alone again, Oliver spoke.

"I would love to take you out on dates, Felicity. As many dates as you want, as many as you need."

Her heart fluttered. "I think maybe that'd help me… realize. It's not that I don't believe you, I promise. It's just… no one has ever loved me like this, Oliver. It's a bit hard to truly believe."

His answering smile was gentle. "Give me three dates, Felicity. I will have you believing without a doubt that I am absolutely over the moon for you."


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: HERE WE ARE! This is the penultimate chapter and really, is the conclusion of the story. I will be posting an epilogue on Wednesday that will tie up some loose ends but for all practical intents and purposes, this is the end. BEWARE: the story earns its rating this chapter. So ... avert your eyes if you're not into that sort of thing. Also, I had someone on express disappointment that Diggle wasn't in this story and they worried I had something against him. I assure you, kind reader, that I do *NOT* have anything against Dig. He usually features in my stories but I couldn't find a good place for him in this story. Several times I considered having him in a part but frankly, if he wasn't gonna be Oliver's best friend, I didn't want to "demote" him by having him just be his driver, you know? I already had Tommy as the best friend and that worked well for this story. I didn't want to overcrowd things and it worked better for the narrative to have Tommy be the one at the cabin with them (considering he's an honorary member of the Queen family in canon and I was trying to stick to canon as much as I could). ANYHOW, I assure you, it was nothing personal and I absolutely adore Dig. Please do not question that. I just didn't see a spot in this story worthy of him. **

Almost two weeks later, Felicity felt her patience was being tested. The worst part was, she'd signed up for this torture. She'd _asked_ for it when she asked Oliver for time to accept his feelings for her.

To be fair, Oliver wasn't making it easy. He'd pulled out every stop on the two dates he'd taken her on so far and now here, on the day of their third date, she was ready to cry "uncle". God, she knew he was doing this on purpose and that was the worst part.

The first date had come a few days after their lunch together. He'd taken her to a fancy New Year's Eve party on the roof of the same hotel they'd had lunch at. They'd both been dressed to the nines, her in those shoes he'd bought for her that they'd both enjoyed so much. It had been glam and glitz and he'd _danced_ with her until she couldn't even feel her toes any longer. When the clock struck midnight, he'd kissed her sweetly under the stars, amid fireworks being shot off a neighboring roof and the shouts and cheers of everyone else happening around them. _Magical_ was a good word for how it all felt. Then, he'd driven her home and kissed her sweetly on her porch. The perfect gentleman.

The next day he'd come over to watch movies with her all day. He'd been very specific that this wasn't one of the dates he was taking her on, it was just them spending time together, talking, since they hadn't been able to do much of that the night before. It had been so comfortable and nice to share silly stories and just be themselves around each other. It reminded her a lot of how they'd been as friends before all of this. Except now he was sharing things with her and encouraging her to share with him.

The day after New Year's Day, Walter had called her into his office to speak with her. Felicity had been sure that he was going to take back the offer to promote her to the Applied Sciences division in light of the lie she'd perpetrated with Oliver over the holiday.

Instead, Walter had handed her the paperwork necessary for her to fill out in order to accept the position. He hadn't asked for any explanation or apologies or excuses. He hadn't even had her interview with anyone. His warm smile had told her that he understood and that, regardless of any of the drama over the holiday, he still valued her intellect and capabilities. It wasn't until Felicity was leaving his office that she wondered if Oliver had had anything to do with it. When she called him to ask, he'd remained silent on the matter.

That sneaky devil.

Oliver had taken her out on the second date the next night. It was a river cruise onboard a kitschy paddle boat that sailed up the river from downtown Starling City and into the woods surrounding the city before heading back to port. Dinner was served inside the cabin, where it was warm, but after they ate, they'd stood out at the rail, watching the snowcapped trees glide past, feeling the thrum of the paddle as it pushed them through the water. They'd talked a lot during dinner, a little less standing there under the stars. He'd kissed her, warming her to her toes more effectively than any fire ever could. But at the end of the night, he'd driven her back to her place just as he had on the first date, kissing her chastely before wishing her goodnight.

All week long, they'd gone to lunch together. Oliver called her on the phone in the evenings as well. They weren't dates, but it was more time together which is exactly what she'd asked for, even if these casual encounters were testing her willpower where he was concerned.

Now, it was the following Friday and they were on their third date. Oliver had arranged for them both to leave work early that afternoon. He'd taken care of all the details, which she was quickly learning was just his style. As he'd lead her from the office building and into the parking garage, he'd deflected all her questions about what they were doing, and where they were going. Eventually, she gave up asking and decided to just go along for the ride.

They took his Porsche, and right away, headed out of the city. It was an hours drive to the beach, the opposite direction from the mountains where the cabin had been located.

"The beach?" she questioned as the SUV maneuvered the winding road that ran alongside the ocean. "In the winter?"

Oliver grinned at her. "Unexpected, right?"

"Uh, yeah! It's not exactly beach weather," she pointed out. The sun was shining but the thermometer in the car said it was in the mid-40's outside.

"I've got plans," he promised. It reminded her so much of his promise of plans on Christmas Day that she felt a shiver down her spine. She could only hope that he would want a little more than a chaste kiss tonight.

He pulled up in front of a small bed and breakfast that overlooked the crashing waves on the beach below. He cautioned her to stay in the car while he went inside.

"We're staying here?" she asked. Was this it? Was he going to finally make a move tonight?

"Maybe. We'll see how the night goes. Just in case you don't feel like driving back tonight, I reserved us a couple of rooms."

Her shoulders dropped as he disappeared inside the quaint looking cottage. Two rooms. That answered _that_.

He emerged a moment later, big smile in place. "You'll love where we're headed next," he promised.

That ended up being the resort located just down the road. Oliver left the Porsche at the valet and guided Felicity inside and directly to…

"The spa?" she asked as they stopped at a reception desk right next to what the sign proclaimed as "The Most Acclaimed Hotel Spa on the West Coast".

"Yep! You and I have a couple's massage booked for this afternoon," he told her.

Felicity didn't even know why she bothered being surprised anymore. This man thought of everything. And, judging from his big smile as he checked them in, he was enjoying showing off for her. If this was the sort of thing he could come up with, she didn't mind if he kept doing just that. A massage! She hadn't ever had a professional massage done but it sounded like just the thing to unwind after a long week at the office.

They were lead to adjoining changing rooms where they were instructed to undress and put on white fluffy robes that hung off hooks on the back of the doors. It all felt so deliciously sensuous that Felicity couldn't even bother to feel embarrassed as she removed her skirt and blouse and underthings and wrapped the robe around herself. She also tied up her hair with the provided elastic bands, so it would be out of the way of the masseuse.

When she emerged, Oliver was already waiting wearing his own robe. There was a pair of massage tables, set up to overlook the beach and the ocean. He looked utterly delicious in that robe and knowing he was just as naked underneath as she was, well, that made it even better. The attendant asked them to remove their robes and lay face down on the tables, covering their lower halves with the provided towels. They each averted their eyes from the other as they complied. It wasn't that she didn't want to see him, or for him to see her, but something about keeping that mystery going made everything all the more exciting.

When they were in place, Oliver called out, "Okay, ready."

Felicity turned her head and saw him mirroring her position. The masseuses entered and introduced themselves but Felicity barely heard a word they said. Her eyes were on Oliver and her attention was completely on him. He was smiling at her and she was smiling back. It felt _so right_ to be doing this.

The massage was fantastic, as she'd expected it would be. Her masseuse worked the muscles of her back, neck and shoulders, drawing forth groans and moans of bliss as her aches and stiffness melted away. When she caught Oliver's eye again, she saw his eyes were dark and heated, the hunger there evident. She felt the thrill of it herself when he also groaned his satisfaction.

Yeah, the massage was a _great_ idea.

The only downside was that her frustration was now completely through the roof and she was trying to think of different ways she could jump him before the night was over.

After they got dressed, they headed back to the valet station, retrieved the car, and Oliver drove them to their next destination. This time, they stopped in front of a distillery that was located just off the road that faced the beach. Felicity hid her surprise, interested to see what Oliver had in mind. He lead her into a warm, wood paneled tasting room, complete with a polished bar and stools to sit at. The man working the counter passed them laminated sheets, detailing the whiskeys they would be tasting.

"I've gone to wine tastings, but never a whiskey tasting," she told Oliver.

"I thought we could both use this to warm us up for what I have in mind next."

Well, _that_ certainly caused her mind to race with all kinds of interesting scenarios. The decidedly heated look in Oliver's eyes did nothing to dissuade those imaginings either.

The man running the bar poured them sample after sample, explaining what each taste was. Felicity actually found the whole thing rather educational. She learned the difference between blended whiskey and single malt, and how age smoothed out the taste and how different varieties of wood barrels affected the flavor. They even tasted one whiskey that was 107 proof and that had her throat burning so much her eyes watered.

By the time they walked out of the tasting room, Felicity definitely felt warmed from head to toe. Instead of getting in the Porsche, however, Oliver laced his fingers with hers and tugged her down the path that ran alongside the beach.

"We're walking from here," he told her. "I've got a bit of a buzz, I'm sure you do too. Plus, the bed and breakfast is just down there." He pointed down the road and she recognized the small cottage.

"That's thinking ahead," she murmured, appreciating his conscientiousness.

At the cottage, Oliver had her wait on the weathered bench on the porch while he went inside to retrieve some things from the innkeeper. He emerged moments later with folded blankets and a giant wicker basket. Felicity took the blankets and followed him as he lead the way down the steps that lead down onto the sand. She noticed that he was leading her towards a round cement fire pit, a ways down towards the water's edge. Next to the fire pit was a stack of chopped wood, ready to be used to make a fire.

Felicity could see what he had planned; a beach bonfire, complete with picnic and cuddling under warm blankets. Her heart warmed, even as she helped by laying out a large blanket for them to sit on while Oliver began to build the bonfire. It was a simple plan. Okay, maybe not the couple's massage and the whiskey tasting, but surely cuddling under the stars mid-winter on a beach was sweet and simple.

The light was quickly fading by the time Oliver got the fire going. It put out enough heat to keep the chill from creeping in too much and when Oliver settled back on the blanket with her, tucking one down throw around her shoulders before doing the same for himself with another down throw, she felt positively cozy.

Inside the picnic basket, they found a variety of cheeses, meats, crackers and cookies to nibble on, along with a bottle of wine and some plastic glasses to drink from. Oliver explained that all he'd had to do was ask the innkeeper if she could set this up and she was more than happy to do so. As Felicity tasted cheese after cheese, she admitted that the innkeeper had fantastic taste.

Oliver leaned over closer to her, taking the cheese from her fingers and began to feed it to her, letting his fingers linger a little on her lips. She returned the favor, enjoying how his eyes were glued to hers, his expression full of desire. Want. She knew hers was too. As if by mutual agreement, they put the rest of the food back into the basket and Oliver pulled her back against his chest, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders around her as well so they made one, large, cozy cocoon.

She took a deep breath, inhaling his scent and felt as happy as she had when they'd spent Christmas together. She realized, sitting there quietly in his arms while the fire roared and the waves crashed on the beach, that she felt his love down to her bones. She knew it and accepted it and returned it, free of all doubt. Her heart felt like it might burst with it. She wrapped her arms around his, where he held her tight, and squeezed.

"I'm so happy," she told him.

"Do you get it now?" he asked softly, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"I get it," she replied. "I love you."

_"I love you."_

Her words hung in the air, eclipsing the sound of the waves. Oliver's breath caught in his chest. As long as he lived, he'd never get enough of hearing her say that. He only hoped he got the chance to hear it over and over and over again. More than that, he wanted to have the chance to say it back, over and over and over again.

Inheritance or not, Oliver wanted to spend his life with this woman.

"Felicity," he mumbled, his heart swelling with emotion. He turned her in his arms so she faced him and brought his lips to hers. Her lips were warm and plush against his, moving with him, following his lead. The desire that he'd carefully tamped the last week and a half surged forward once more.

Since Felicity had agreed to go on dates with him, to see him, to take things slowly, Oliver had made a vow that he would not push her further than she was comfortable. He wanted to romance her, show her what she deserved, strengthen their bond and their friendship and help her to trust his feelings.

So far, that plan seemed to be working. The only downside was his libido taking a hit each and every time he had to kiss her goodnight and leave the warmth of her embrace. Relatively speaking, it was a small price to pay and he was willing to do whatever it took. But, oh, he wanted her _so badly_.

Felicity squirmed in his arms, moving against him restlessly. The noises she was making into his mouth were needy, moaning sounds that shot sensation right to his dick. She moved onto his lap, her legs straddling his hips and her fingers clutching at the back of his head, at his arms. Oliver grabbed her hips, pulling her down against him so that he could rub his erection against her.

Felicity's lips fell from his as she gasped. "Oliver," she groaned. "Please…"

He tried to still his hips, settling on a slow grind when he couldn't stop altogether. "What do you want, Felicity. What do you need?" he asked, his head swimming. He wanted to beg her, but held himself back. Barely.

"I want _you_," she moaned, her own hips moving with his. "I can't… no more goodnight kisses."

Oliver forced himself to stop and he pulled her away so he could look into her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Her blue eyes were slow to clear as she focused on him. "You've been such a gentleman, Oliver," she whispered, lowering her voice until it was sultry and made him shiver, "and it's been driving me _insane_."

He swallowed thickly. "A—are you saying that you're—"

"Ready? More than. In fact, if you don't jump me tonight, I'm going to be _very_ put out." Her eyes twinkled in the flickering light of the bonfire.

Oliver only took a second to contemplate her words before he was up on his feet, pulling her up after him. He started gathering the picnic leftovers, shoving them back in the basket as Felicity gathered the blankets. He tossed sand on the bonfire until it was smoking embers and then, giving her a rakish grin, held out a hand.

Her fingers slipped into his and together, they headed back up to the bed and breakfast. Oliver left the blankets and basket in the main entrance hall before leading her towards a room near the rear of the house. Felicity didn't speak much, which was unlike her, but when he glanced over his shoulder to see if she was still on the same page, he caught her staring at his ass.

Yeah, she was still on the same page.

He hadn't lied earlier, he _had_ booked two rooms though he'd hoped they wouldn't need the second. The room he wanted them to share was the "master suite", which was the biggest and most private room in the bed and breakfast. The rest of the guest quarters were either on the other end of the home or were in the cabins out back, where the innkeepers quarters were located. The room was cozy, atmospheric. A huge four poster bed dominated the room, with a stone fireplace and other rustic furnishings. A private bath with whirlpool tub and extra large shower was located just off the side of the room. It wasn't a large room, but it was perfect for right now. Felicity's eyes didn't even stray from his as he pulled her towards the edge of the bed.

"You're sure?" he asked her, lifting her hand as he brought her around to face him. He laced his fingers with hers, doing the same with her other hand, locking them together.

"Oliver, stop being so damned noble," she grumbled, yanking suddenly on his hands and bringing him flush against her. She lifted up on her toes and, releasing one of his hands, grabbed the back of his head and yanked his head down towards hers so she could kiss him.

Her lips were now cold, compared to the warmth of the room. His senses swam with her; her scent, the feel of her soft skin as he cupped her face, the taste of her mouth as she opened to him, the sound of her sigh as she sank into him. The kiss grew heated quickly, as Oliver finally let his hunger take over.

He was surprised, a moment later, when she pushed against his chest, breaking the kiss. They were both breathing hard, Felicity's cheeks were flushed and he knew his probably were as well.

"What? What's wrong?"

Her blush deepened. "Nothing is wrong. It's just… this is where I'd probably excuse myself to the bathroom to get changed into something silky and sexy to impress you with but… I don't even have a bag!" She sounded just a bit accusatory on that, making him smile.

Oliver wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her hips against his so that she could feel where he was already hard for her. "Felicity, you don't need something silky and sexy to impress me," he told her. "You just need to be _you_."

"Oh…" Her eyes were wide, her cheeks still flushed. She already looked amazing, still wearing the dress she'd worn to work that day. Her hair was down and windblown from the beach, her glasses were on, slightly askew from their kisses.

"You look amazing," he said, bring his hand up to cup her jaw. He rubbed his thumb lightly over her cheek. "I want to see more of you."

When she opened her mouth to respond, Oliver simply laid a finger over her lips, silencing her. Then, he moved away from her, circling around her. He found the zipper to her dress and slowly eased it down, revealing a tantalizing strip of skin on her back. Then, easing his hands over her shoulders he pushed it down her arms, causing the fabric to fall once gravity took over, and the dress pooled at her feet. She was left standing in her bra and underwear, a matching set he recognized from their shopping trip.

"Step out of your shoes," he whispered in her ear.

Felicity did as he asked, kicking aside her heels and the discarded dress at the same time. Oliver moved back in front of her, but didn't touch her again just yet. Instead, his hands went to work removing his own clothes. He could tell by the way her hands clenched at her sides that she wanted to participate but something must have told her that he wanted to do this because she held back.

His button down shirt came off first, followed by trousers and shoes and socks. When he stood before her in just his boxer briefs, he let her have a good look at him, taking the opportunity to rake his own eyes over her. Her lush curves called to him and he couldn't wait to get his hands on her.

She reached for him then and that's when he lunged. In one fluid movement, he scooped her up and landed on the bed with her. Her hair fanned out on the pillow and she watched him from beneath hooded eyes as he kissed down her body. When he got to her breasts, he reached underneath her to unsnap her bra. Once the lacy garment was discarded, he dove in, sucking a tightened peak into his mouth. Felicity arched against him, gasping as her fingers clutched at the short hairs at the back of his head.

She was so responsive; every touch was met with a gasp or a moan and she wriggled against him constantly. Her noises grew louder as he continued to work down her body, lavishing attention at various spots along the way, like the spot just above her belly button and the hollow of her left hip. As he tongued along her hip, Oliver deftly drew her underwear down until she kicked it the rest of the way off. Then, he moved further down the bed and spread her legs easily with his hands, holding her open for him. She whined and arched in his grasp needfully. He'd dreamed of doing this since that first night they'd had to share a bed.

Leaning in he licked a long line up her slit, tasting her essence and breathing her in. Perfect. He knew she would be. Her hips tried to buck so he adjusted his grip on her legs, moving one arm up to lay across her hips and hold her down to the bed. Then, he got right to work, teasing around her clit and enjoying how her moans increased in volume and pitch.

"Oliver!" she cried, scratching her fingernails through his hair. "Please!"

He took pity, partly because he wanted to bring her pleasure and partly because his dick was so hard and aching that he couldn't wait to get inside of her. He shoved two fingers inside her tight channel at the same time as he sucked her engorged clit into his mouth. Almost immediately, her walls clamped down hard on his fingers and she gushed for him as her orgasm tore through her. He licked her through the aftershocks, bringing her down gently, enjoying the way her cries echoed through the room.

When he eased back, she blinked her eyes open. She looked stunned and he couldn't fight his grin.

"Pretty proud of yourself, aren't you?"

"Very."

"C'mere. I'm not done with you yet," she said, crooking a finger at him. Oliver didn't need to be told twice. With a quick detour to his trousers where he'd stashed a couple of condom packets, he moved up the bed to capture Felicity's lips in a deep kiss.

He briefly wondered if she'd be put off, tasting herself on his tongue, but if anything, it seemed to drive her wild. She returned the kiss deeply, biting at his lips and tangling her tongue with his. God, that was sexy.

"Now," she mumbled against his lips. "I need you, Oliver." She reached down and began to push at the waistband of his boxer briefs, inching them down his hips. He tried to keep kissing her as he helped her push his underwear down but eventually he had to sit back and finish the job properly.

Felicity pushed up on her elbows to watch and he saw the way her eyes widened when she finally saw the entirety of him. He reached for one of the condom packets and she quickly took it from him.

"Let me, okay?"

Oliver nodded and watched, hardly daring to breathe, as she tore open the package and rolled the condom onto his throbbing cock. The touch of her fingers, gentle but unashamed, threatened to undo him. Once the condom was fully seated, he pushed roughly at her shoulders, causing her to fall back to the bed.

Grabbing his dick, he rubbed himself through her slickness before beginning to press into her. He went slow, letting her adjust to his size and she angled her hips, helping him slide into her tight, slick heat. Shit, she felt _amazing_.

"Felicity," he groaned, lowering his lips to her neck as he finally pressed all the way in. "Fuck. I—I can't—"

"Just let go," she gasped, her legs wrapping around him, pulling him impossibly deeper inside of her softness.

He pulled back and then thrust in, the sparks of sensation shooting up his spine. It felt too good. He couldn't hold on. "I can't—" he repeated helplessly, trying so damn hard to keep control, to move steadily inside of her.

"Fly with me," she murmured in his ear, before biting down gently on his neck.

Like a kid holding onto a kite string, he just let go. Encouraged by Felicity's moans and cries of his name, he pumped his hips against hers. The friction was incredible; he felt like he was on fire.

"Fuck, Felicity," he groaned. He drew back enough so he could see her face and found her eyes already on him. They locked eyes as he thrust into her.

"Right there!" she cried out, arching against him and he slammed into her, hitting the spot that was making her quickly come undone beneath him.

"Come with me," he begged, reaching down to where they were joined to flick a thumb against her clit as his hips pounded. As though she'd just been waiting for his command, Felicity flew apart and this time he was able to fully appreciate the sight of her release. She was flushed all over, her lips a bright red, her eyes wild and her back arching while he fingers clutched at the sheets, and then at his arms.

Her walls squeezed him tight as Oliver fucked her through her climax. The tension coiled at the base of his spine and he chased it ruthlessly. Then, that tension exploded and he gasped out her name over and over as he pulsed his release inside of her. He'd never come so hard in his life, he was sure of it, and stars danced behind his eyes as he screwed them shut, wrapping his arms tightly around her and crushing her to him as he slowly stilled his hips.

Oliver held her like that for a long moment, panting and gathering the frayed edges of himself. She clung to him just as tightly and he could feel her lips tracing over his shoulders as she murmured softly worse he couldn't hear. When he could finally feel his limbs again, he lifted off of her and met her eyes again.

"Okay?"

She nodded and he saw tears swimming in her eyes, one just spilling over her cheek. He brushed it away with a thumb before leaning down to kiss her softly.

"You sure?" he asked when he drew back again.

"Yeah, that was just… wow."

He knew the feeling. "I'll be right back," he told her, reluctantly pulling away from her and feeling the lost of her warmth and heat keenly. But he needed to dispose of the condom and clean up. He did that quickly in the bathroom before returning to the bed. Felicity had pulled the covers back and crawled between the sheets and he gladly joined her, pulling her against him.

She settled against him, her curves fitting perfectly along the lines of his body. Her head rested over his heart and he felt her press a quick kiss there. "I love you," she murmured.

Oliver ducked his head down, kissing the top of her mussed blonde head. "I love you, too."

As sleep chased them both, Oliver relaxed with the belief that he and Felicity were on the right track for a long, happy life together. Whether that life began tomorrow, in five months or in five years, it didn't matter to him. If she was by his side, that was all that really mattered.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: THANK YOU to everyone who has followed along with this story. Your excitement has been wonderful for me, as a writer. I love seeing your enthusiasm and while this story was written and finished over a month ago, it helped me motivate to get the chapters posted in a timely manner. The best thing ever have been the messages that tell me this story has enhanced their holiday spirit. You are all the best readers and I hope you have the BEST Christmas ever. This epilogue is my gift to you (I didn't originally have one). **

**I guess now I have to think up another story to write! O.o**

_Five Weeks Later_

Oliver sipped at his scotch and watched from the side of the room while some friends of Felicity's from Applied Sciences talked to Tommy and Laurel. His best friend had his arm around Laurel's waist and they looked relaxed and natural together. He smiled, happy for his friends. His eyes searched the room until he found Felicity, deep in conversation with Walter, probably about work. He smirked and took another drink.

They were back at the cabin again, but this time the Christmas decorations were gone from sight. In their place were red, pink and white flowers in vases and crepe paper hearts that Thea had insisted on hanging everywhere. It was Valentine's Day and the living room of the cabin was swathed in all things romance. Even the music playing over the sound system was sappily sweet. A year ago, Oliver would have rolled his eyes and refused to participate in this schmaltzy party. This year, however, he had a vested interested. That and this party was being thrown, in part, for him. And for Felicity.

This was their engagement party.

As though she felt his eyes on her, Felicity looked up then and caught his gaze. She looked gorgeous, as usual. She wore a bright pink dress, her hair mostly down with just the top section pinned back. Her eyes were smokey and seductive and her slow smile when she saw him was already heating his blood.

Would it be poor taste to disappear from his own engagement party? Even just for a half hour?

On cue, his mother stepped into his field of vision and gave him a dry look. Yeah, Moira would surely notice and disapprove. Vocally. All the brownie points he'd earned by formally announcing his engagement to Felicity would be used up. Even now, she was fixing him with a look that told him she knew exactly what was on his mind.

She moved on towards where Walter and Felicity were talking and Oliver drank again from his drink, letting the alcohol warm his insides and relax him. It'd been a long week, full of impromptu visits from Thea at his office as she'd hurried to put this party together.

Truthfully, he hadn't expected anything like this to be happening. In the weeks since he and Felicity had their third date at the beach, he'd been focused on her and enjoying their relationship and had purposefully _not_ thought about his father's blasted will. It hadn't been hard to do; Felicity had provided a very pleasant distraction.

The two of them had been nearly inseparable for the last five weeks. He'd become half of one of those sappy couples he'd always made jokes with Tommy about when they were younger. The funniest part was he didn't mind one bit. Oliver was happier than he'd ever been before in his life and he owed that to Felicity and their relationship.

The last thing he'd wanted to do was pressure her to marry him just so he could fulfill the terms of the will. Whenever Felicity had asked him for more information about the will, he'd been loathe to talk about it, preferring to change the subject. Oliver was surprised, a week ago, when she'd confronted him the moment he'd arrived at her apartment after work.

"Why haven't you given me my ring back yet?" she asked him as soon as he was through the door, her eyes bright. He hadn't even had a chance to take his wool overcoat off yet.

Oliver felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. He stared at Felicity, his mind racing and trying to catch up.

"Ring? Felicity— What?"

"I know I gave it back to you on Christmas but we're together now and… why haven't you given it back to me yet?"

He finally caught up. "Felicity, I told you the day you came to see after Christmas. The will isn't important to me. I don't care about the inheritance. All that matters to me is _you_."

Felicity blew out a breath and pulled him further into her living room, pushing his coat off. Oliver got the hint and shed the coat, tossing it onto a chair. She sat him down on the sofa and perched next to him.

"Oliver. I really appreciated you giving me the time to… accept what was happening between us. But… am I wrong in thinking that everything is fine now? That we're even better than we were at Christmas?"

"You're not wrong." He reached up and stroked her cheek with his fingertips. Her skin was _so_ soft.

"And you haven't changed your mind, have you? About us staying together? Having a … future together?"

Oliver's heart twisted. "No, I haven't changed my mind. I want to spend every holiday with you Felicity, for as long as you'll have me."

"Well, then, I'll have you forever," she replied simply and he wanted so badly to just kiss her. Did he even deserve her in his life? "I've been waiting for you to give me the ring back but you haven't and time isn't exactly on our side here…"

"Felicity, I never wanted you to feel obligated or pressured into anything. I know how you feel about marriage and I respect that. The inheritance isn't as important to me as you are."

"But it is important. To your family. And if we're going to end up together anyhow… why not kill all the birds with one stone?"

Oliver brushed his fingers over her temple and smiled. "That's my girl, practical to the last."

"I'm serious, Oliver."

"I know you are. I think it's adorable." He dropped a kiss onto her pouting lips. "Felicity, I would love nothing more than to marry you as soon as you'll have me. But I didn't want to drag you into this mess."

"And I appreciate that. But I get a say, don't I?"

He couldn't fight his grin. "Are you saying you only want to marry me for my money?"

Felicity smacked his arm. "Don't be an ass. You know your mother is concerned…"

"Wait, did my mom talk to you about this?"

"No. But I did talk to Thea." Thea and his mother still weren't on the best of terms with one another. Thea would barely talk to her, but Moira kept trying. "For what its worth, she's on our side. Which is to say that she think we should do whatever we want without pressure. But I can see by the sparkle in her eye when she talks about it that she'd love a chance to plan a wedding for us. And I think she could use the distraction right now, to be honest."

Oliver nodded. He knew that was true enough. His sister was holding up well, considering. She was still angry with their mother and wouldn't even look at Malcolm Merlyn. But she kept her head held high. Just like a Queen.

"Okay. You win," he murmured. He stood up and crossed the room to where he'd tossed his coat. Fishing in the pocket, he pulled the velvet box out. Felicity's eyes landed on it instantly and she licked her lips unconsciously.

Oliver dropped onto his knees on the floor right in front of her. He took her hands in his his and looked into her eyes. "Felicity. I meant everything I said before, but having spent the last month with you, I'm even more certain of how I feel. I love you. I need you. Will you marry me?"

She grinned at him. "What took you so long?"

"That's a yes?"

"That's a hell yes."

He'd slipped the ring onto her finger and pulled her into his arms and the two of them had spent the rest of the night christening the various surfaces in Felicity's apartment. Including some of the surfaces they'd already partaken of before, including her bed.

Oliver smiled to himself at the memory. They'd told his family the next day and Thea had immediately gone into party planning mode. She wanted to have the party back here at the cabin where, in her words, "the magic began". Felicity had called her mother to tell her the news and Donna Smoak had flown in just last night to be here to celebrate with him. Felicity's mom was a character; just about as different from her daughter as she could possibly be. Speaking of which… where was she? Last Oliver saw, she was chatting with one of Felicity's co-workers from Applied Sciences.

Just then, a hand grabbed his arm, hard. He looked down to see Felicity's blue eyes wide, her lips pursed. "Oliver, do something! They're talking!"

"Who?" he asked, setting his now empty glass down on the bookshelf he was standing next to and wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her to him.

"My mother! Your mother! Oh god, no good can come of this," she groaned, letting her head fall forward onto his chest.

Oliver scanned the room and saw that his mother was indeed talking to a colorfully dressed Donna Smoak. Felicity's mother was waving her hands as she spoke and Moira was arching an eyebrow and regarding the other woman cooly. A chill ran down Oliver's spine.

"What on earth could they be talking about?" he asked.

"If I know my mother, its about wedding plans. Already." Felicity didn't sound the least bit happy about it.

She'd been on edge ever since they picked Donna up last night, clearly nervous about her mother and how his family might receive her. Oliver wished she wouldn't worry; he thought Donna was a lovely woman. Sure, she was loud and brash and the word "provocative" didn't begin to describe her wardrobe, but she obviously cared for Felicity and as far as Oliver was concerned, that's what mattered the most. Still, he wanted to set his fiancee's nerves at ease. Fiancee. He was still getting used to that and he loved the way it sounded.

Actually, he knew just what to do. It's what he's been wanting to do since twenty minutes into this party.

"Come on," he said, removing his arm from around her waist and placing his hand at the small of her back instead. He steered hr out of the living room and towards the staircase.

"Where are we going, Oliver?"

"I am going to help you relax, Ms. Smoak," he told her, bending towards her air as they ascended the stairs.

She whipped around, her eyes wide. "But Oliver! The party!"

"The party will still be here, it's not going anywhere."

Her cheeks pinked and he could not help but grin, knowing exactly how far that flush would extend down her neck and onto her chest. In a minute, he would have firsthand experience with tasting that heated skin beneath his lips.

He lead Felicity right to the room they'd shared nearly two months before. Their suitcases sat just inside the door; they hadn't had more than a moment to drop them there when they'd arrived at the cabin earlier. Oliver paid them little heed now as he grabbed Felicity's hands and pulled her towards the bed.

"I'm not sure, Oliver," Felicity said, biting her lower lip. "What if your mother—"

"I don't care about my mother right now. I care about getting you naked and writhing beneath me." To emphasize this, he reached behind her and pulled the zipper of her dress down here back, letting his fingers brush along her spine. She shivered.

"Oliver…" Her protest was token at best. He could see the way her eyes were heated, her breaths coming short and quick.

He pushed her dress off her shoulders so that it landed on the floor with a swish. Then, he bent down and covered her lips with his own, deepening the kiss immediately. As long as he lived, he would never get over the taste of Felicity's mouth, the scent of her desire, the sound of her gasps and moans…

"Felicity," he mumbled against her lips, already tugging at the fastening of her bra, "I want you." Would he ever stop wanting her like this? _Needing_ her?

"Then have me, Oliver," she replied, her fingers already flying over the buttons of his shirt.

He peeled Felicity's bra off at the same time as he spun her around and pushed her, gently of course, onto the bed. Shrugging out of his shirt pushing his trousers down off of his hips, Oliver grinned at the sultry picture Felicity made with her blonde hair fanned around her.

"I've wanted to have you on this bed since that first night we shared here together," he admitted.

"I might have had a thought or two along those lines myself," she admitted, her eyes following the movements of his hands as he removed the rest of his clothes.

"Only a thought or two? You had me so obsessed by the time Christmas came, I probably could have drilled through steel with this thing," he told her, wrapping a hand around his already hard dick.

Felicity grinned and licked her lips, causing a groan to escape his lips. Did she even know what she did to him?

She crooked a finger at him, her grin mischievous and quite possibly the sexiest smile he'd ever seen in his life. He was helpless to resist her so, with a growl, he lunged for her, covering her body with his. They did have to get back to the party, but first he would show his wife-to-be just how crazy with lust she made him.

Oliver and Felicity only got a few raised eyebrows when they finally returned to the party. Tommy winked at both of them knowingly before whispering something in Laurel's ear that made her blush. The rest of the engagement party went off without a hitch and both Moira Queen and Donna Smoak behaved themselves with each other, having found a a common interest in planning the wedding. Though that probably worried Felicity more than anything else.

It turns out, she might have had a reason to worry. The Queen-Smoak wedding was the event of the decade in Starling City and even made national news. That did nothing for Felicity's nerves, but Thea helped in that regard, making sure to throw her future sister-in-law a bachelorette party to end all bachelorette parties with the weekend before the wedding.

Then, on the 16th of May, at 11 in the morning on the grounds of the Queen mansion, Oliver and Felicity were married in front of a garden full of their friends and family. Paparazzi were barred at the gates and helicopters hovered over the tent for the reception, trying to get a good photograph of the happy couple.

Papers were signed and Robert Queen's will was finally fulfilled to the letter. But neither Oliver nor Felicity cared one bit about that as they only had eyes for each other. They bided their time with wedding traditions until they could leave in a stretch limousine for the airport, the private Queen jet waiting to whisk them away to their honeymoon in Hawaii.

As luck would have it, the jet had a bedroom. And the newly minted Mr and Mrs Queen were quite happy to partake of that bed for the duration of their flight. Because, as Oliver was quickly learning, he wasn't ever going to stop wanting her, needing her. And the feeling was very mutual.


End file.
